Tides of Life
by Shadows4Twilight
Summary: She's caught up in a mess she has no part in and cast from her village. After years, she is just trying to get by when an "old friend" drops in for a visit and turns her world upside down once more. It doesn't seem to matter how strong she resists, she is dragged along with the tide of life. OC X undecided
1. Chapter 1

Hello there! This is actually a story I wrote years ago! I decided I'm going to redo it. It used to be called Sand in an Hourglass. There is quite a bit I'm going to go back over, so it might take me a bit. If you read the old one, I appreciate it! I'm going to leave the old one up, since I don't want to lose the reviews and such. I'm going to be changing things around in this one. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Sorry ahead of time for any errors, and I may deviate from the Naruto story line a little.

Also, I originally was writing this as an eventual ItachiXOC story, but I'm no longer sure I would like to do that. . If you have any desires/ideas/etc. feel free to reach out to me!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Lavender colored hair cascades down to cover the tired looking face of a young teen girl. Her shaking hands clasp tightly onto equally shaking legs. She's been working on this seemingly easy jutsu for what seems like _ages_, but it feels like she hasn't gotten any closer to mastering it. In fact, she has practiced it so many times that she's lost count. To make matters worse, she's also lost, or broke, multiple brand new weapons. It was starting to eat into her mission allowances.

She closes her eyes in utter frustration and focuses on her breathing. Much to her embarrassment, her breaths are coming out in short, ragged pants. Teal eyes close, and the young girl silently berates herself for being so winded despite being a ninja, regardless of the fact that she is just a genin. Sweat causes the shorter pieces of her hair to cling to the edges of her hair, and her clothes are beginning to get that disgusting feeling of clinging uncomfortably to her body. She wrinkles her nose and wonders what she must smell like. Probably a sweaty earthy smell from being thrown into the dirt so much.

The thought alone was almost enough to make her gag.

Obnoxious laughter causes her eyes snap open and flash up to the source of the very annoying noise. A young blonde boy, about two years older than the girl, stands not far from her. His arms are wrapped tightly around his midsection, and he's bent at the waist just enough that he looks like he might be in pain. His mouth opens in what she can almost convince herself is a wordless cry of pain.

She lifts her nose a little. It'd serve him right to be in pain. Unfortunately, the pleasant image is broken when a snort of laughter finally escapes his gaping hole of a mouth. Her teal eyes darken in anger, since he _is_ laughing at her. Much to her displeasure, he curls into an even tighter ball with each obnoxious laugh, causing the shaggy hair on his head falls down to cover his face.

For a moment, she finds herself wondering why he hasn't cut it yet. Usually he's very particular about his appearance. After a few seconds of thought, she vaguely remembers him mentioning something about growing it out. He said that he had a good reason, but it's lost within her memory. It mustn't be that good if she can't even remember it. His skinny, but broad shoulders shake with his laughter. The loose, black training shirt he's wearing shows no signs of the training the two young Rock Shinobi have been doing for the last hour or so. Even his calf-length, black pants barely have any dirt on them.

There is a nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach. Something was missing, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Her eyes trace over his body, but she can't seem to place it. It wasn't his new hairdo. It wasn't his clothes, or even his ninja shoes. He seemed to always be wearing such things lately. That's when it hits her. He's devoid of his headband. An uncomfortable feeling twists through her stomach. He had been so very proud when he had passed the test and gotten it. He had literally shown it to anyone who so much as looked his way, much to her embarrassment.

Where was it now?

Why wasn't he wearing it?

She shifts to an upright position while she considers the possibilities. If she were to be honest with herself, she couldn't remember the last time he'd actually worn it. Her eyes turn down to look at herself.

Her clothes are a completely different story from his. Like him, she wears a loose training shirt, but it's more blue than black. The shoulders shift from material to mesh and work their way down to the middle of her upper arms. She sports black shorts that stop just above her knee. Both pieces of clothing are covered in mud and sweat from their little sparring session. Bruises peek out from beneath her clothes, but she doesn't pay much mind to them. Such is the life of a ninja, even a female one. She didn't dare dream of the day she would have smooth, non-bruised skin.

Her eyes move back to his forehead, where his headband usually rested. It hits suddenly, but she misses the familiar weight of her own. Her fingers reach up to brush her collarbone out of unconscious habit. She had left hers at home when she came out to train with him this morning. She learned rather quickly that the boy in front of her fought dirty. He wasn't above grabbing her headband, since she typically wore it around her neck. He only strangled her with it twice before she decided that it's best to just leave it at home. He may be offering to help her perfect the jutsu her brother showed her, but he has a large competitive streak. He took losing hard and would do everything in his power to make sure he always came out on top, even if they were just simply training. Besides, the headband would just distract her in the long run anyway. She's been trying to perfect a jutsu that her older brother had taught her. It actually a lot simpler than she was making it out to be. All she would need to do is create a mirage of herself without actually casting a gentjutsu, or creating a clone. It would require less chakra than either of those techniques, leaving her more to fight with. It's nothing more than to draw the opponent's attention from her body. It had to look real, and be as convincing as a clone. After all, divided attention could mean life or death for a shinobi, so the simpler her image, the easier it should be to recreate.

The laughter begins to echo around her, and her irritation grows to a dangerous level. Her hands slowly curl into fists around her pants. She grits her teeth to keep from snapping something cruel at him, but it doesn't stop her teal eyes from narrowing angrily at him. Unfortunately, the glare seems to go right over his head, or, the more likely situation, he just doesn't really care.

Finally, she's had enough of his mocking laughter. The tight tension in the pit of her stomach snaps.

"Oh, shut up, Deidara! I don't have to beat you to know you'll always be a spoiled brat," she snaps, punctuating it with a stomp of her own foot, much like the spoiled brat she was accusing him of.

"At least I'm not the one who ends up on my butt every time we practice a jutsu, hmm," Deidara replies now that his laughter has almost completely stopped. His breaths come out in short pants. A sense of satisfaction fills her. It serves him right to be trying to catch his breath for laughing in her face.

She scoffs at his response and turns her gaze to a kunai that she dropped at some point during training. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see a downright mischievous grin over take his face. An uneasy, unfamiliar feeling fills her entire body, and she turns her teal eyes from the kunai to meet his blue gaze. Once they do, he straightens up, all traces of amusement gone from his face. A look of suspicion suddenly spreads over his face. She can't stop the grin from spreading over her face. He must have seen something in her eyes that made him think she was planning to attack. After all, she isn't above fighting dirty either, and the last thing he'll want to be hit by is a cheap shot. Her voice comes out slightly arrogant as she says. "I have to go easy on you, you know? I mean, it'd only hurt your fragile pride if a woman beat you. You know, I have to let you win."

He rolls both of his bright blue eyes and walks to her side. He proceeds to flop down to the ground beside her. She raises a questioning eyebrow at him, but she doesn't say a thing to him. Slowly, she eases herself down beside him. She loosely wraps her arms around her knees and lets out a soft breath. For a brief moment, she finds herself worrying once again if she smells bad, but she quickly pushes the thought out of her head. Of course she smells bad. She just spent the last hour rigorously training and sweating. Disgust fills every fiber of her being, and the need for a shower begins to swell in her body. She tries to push the feeling away, but it's hard to squash. Her thoughts turn to the boy beside her, and she silently reminds herself that she doesn't have long to be with her friend. She can shower later.

Movement out of the corner of her eye draws her full attention to her friend. Deidara slowly lifts his hands until they are directly in front of his face. His eyes begins to search the palms of his hands, as if the mouths they contain will answer some unasked question he has on his mind at that moment. He sighs after an uneventful minute and balls them into fists. After another few seconds of absolutely nothing happening, she turns her gaze skyward. The sight causes her heart to grow heavy and begin to sink to the pit of her stomach. A soft pink color is creeping along the edge of darkened sky. It's almost time for the two to go their separate ways for the day.

A strange, itching feeling appears on her face, letting her know that someone is looking in her direction. She reluctantly drags her gaze from the growing pink to meet bright blue. She tilts her head to one side in curiosity and shifts her weight to get a better look at him. Her arms are tucked beneath her thighs now, making her look vulnerable.

"Hey, Ishiko," Deidara says, sounding almost lost in thought.

"Hmm?" Is the unenthusiastic answer he receives. It doesn't seem to faze him though.

"What's your team like, hm?" he asks. A glance in his direction tells her that he isn't truly curious about her team. He probably just felt like he needed to say something to fill the awkward silence.

Ishiko hugs her thighs tighter as she thinks over how to describe her team. The thought of going back to them filled her with an odd sense of anxiety. She already knows that she really isn't really ninja material. She's too soft, and she shies away from the sight of blood, or gore of any kind for that matter. It made her feel sick every time she saw it. She had no idea how medic shinobi could handle some of the injuries they saw. Despite avoiding conflict as much as possible, she isn't a pacifist. She might be young, but she wasn't naive. She knew a peaceful reality would never come true in their very harsh world. Despite all that, she couldn't help but dream of a day she might have easy missions like babysitting. Days where she wouldn't have to worry about if she will live or die.

She releases a slow steadying breath, trying to gather her thoughts once more. She won't back down when it came to a fight. She can be fierce in her own way, and she's quite a handful to deal with when her stubborn streak hit. Her eyes turn back to the pink sky, and her thoughts drift further away from the question her friend asked. She cares more about her friends, family, and, though reluctant to admit, her teammates than what she called 'a silly little mission'. That was not viewed as the best trait in a ninja. She's painfully aware of that fact, but she likes to think she's fantastic in many other aspects. Her chakra control could become unrivaled in the village when she's fully grown, and she usually pick up jutsus fast.

She is brought back to the present when she hears Deidara noisily clear his throat. A small smile spreads over her face. He isn't known for being very patient. She stifles a chuckle. Who is she kidding? He's never patient, and she knows she is already pushing his limits.

"Hmm, they're…..nice," Ishiko finishes lamely. Her teal gaze refuses to meet his, despite the feeling that he is staring at her once more. The fact of the matter is both the boys on her team are not only obnoxious, but they fought terribly with one another. They are so rough with missions that they barely complete even the easiest ones. In fact, it's not a secret that they fail more missions than they succeed. In Ishiko's personal opinion, they probably shouldn't even be allowed to be around each other, but the village needed genin, so they were allowed to pass. They fought not only with each other, but the loudest, rudest one also fought with their sensei. Her sensei was nice, but he followed the rules down to the letter. He was known for leaving members of his team behind if they were late to the meeting place.

"Liar," Deidara scoffs. He throws his weight back until he's lying on his back. His hands rest behind his head as a makeshift pillow. It isn't much of a secret that he didn't like the two boys on her team. She could still remember the look of disgust on his face when she told him who she had been paired with. He had spent days telling her just how useless the two bickering idiots were.

She would never openly agree, but she finds herself agreeing. She worried that if she were to ever truly need them, she'd be out of luck. Her gaze finally turns to her friend beside her. His eyes had closed, and he had gained a relaxed posture. Depression threatens to overwhelm her. She could barely spend any time with him because of the rivalry between their teammates. The boy on her team would always pick a fight with Deidara, and it would be Deidara who got in trouble and sent before their kage. It was only in the early morning hours that they got uninterrupted, quality time together. They would sneak out of their houses an hour or two before dawn to meet at the training grounds where they would proceed to train with one another.

"They just argue a lot. They hardly ever involve me in the arguments." This is actually true. She didn't see a point in stepping between her arguing teammates. Not even her sensei would step between them. It may seem wrong, but the two of them let the boys fight it out until they tire themselves out. It just seemed easier. Another glance at the rising sun sets a tendril of panic to the pit of her stomach. If she didn't leave soon, she'd be late. "Well, I have to go. See ya later!"

She turns to him and gives him a short wave. He only opens one eye and raises his head just enough to watch her jog away. He doesn't bother waving, since she wouldn't have seen it anyway.

* * *

The silver haired boy threateningly towers over Ishiko, with his hands on his hips and a cold glare marring his face. He's at least two years older than her own 9 years of age, and he carries enough attitude to show it. His black eyes radiate the mistrust and hate he holds for the younger girl. It's obvious to anyone who cares enough to look at him that raw power is his forte. He's large, even for an eleven year old boy. Ishiko can see muscles beginning to form along his arms.

The silver hair on his head is reaches the bottom of his ears, with a greasy-looking texture to it. Ishiko doesn't know if it's actually greasy to the touch. She tries to avoid touching him in any form. To add to his appearance, his eyes are strangely close together, and he almost always squints in an attempt to look threatening. His nose is far too large for his face. It looks like it might have been broken a couple of times, and on the contrary, his mouth is too small; his voice can be booming, though. He has very broad shoulders, but his body continues to narrow the closer to the ground it gets, giving him an upside down triangle shape. Since he is older than Ishiko, he's at least five inches taller and uses this fact to try, but usually fail, to intimidate her.

With a roll of her eyes, Ishiko turns her teal gaze on her other teammate. The other boy is like a polar opposite of his teammate. He has short, spiky, dark brown hair. It almost looks like melted dark chocolate. His eyes hold a deceivingly, warm mud-colored gaze. He, too, is two years older than Ishiko. Because of this, he is a couple inches taller. Unlike her other obnoxious teammate, his facial features are set almost to perfection. A lot of the girls his age were known to have a crush on him. He's actually popular. Everything from his normal sized nose to his perfect mouth is almost like a dream come true. Ishiko's cheeks dust with pink with the thought of how cute he is running through her mind. Even though she's young, she's still a girl and has every right to day-dream.

"You and Sensei are late today! What did you two do? Oh, wait, you two were scr-" the gruff, coarse voice of the silver-haired boy starts to practically yell. It's barely past dawn, and he's already starting to grate on Ishiko's nerves. Today didn't look like it's going to be any better than any other day. Thankfully, another smoother voice interrupts his loud insult.

"Don't even think of saying anything else, moron," her dark-haired teammate practically snaps. His quick temper is the source of his obnoxiousness. It's actually the only thing unattractive about him. Unfortunately for Ishiko, she's seen it multiple times, up close and personal. Thankfully, she's yet to be on the receiving end of it, but she's sure it'll only be a matter of time. They've only been a team for a couple of weeks after all.

"Don't call me a moron or tell me what to do, Kaemon, you asshole!" growls the silver-haired boy. It sounded lame, even to Ishiko, who barely bit back the giggles. Kaemon gives the other boy an unamused look from his position, which is currently leaning against one of the various rock formations at the gates of the Rock Village.

"Watch your mouth. There is a girl present, Taro," Kaemon states finishing it off with a cold glare. Ishiko wants to feel flattered by the 'gentlemanly' gesture, but she has a sinking feeling that it has more to do with Kaemon's impatience than defending her honor.

Taro looks from side to side in a mock attempt to find Ishiko. "Oh really? I don't see one." His eyes finally land on Ishiko. "All I see is worthless scum. Hell, her family is so good at spying. I'm willing to bet my next paycheck on saying they are backstabbers. How do we even know that they aren't selling our information to our enemies?"

Ishiko feels rage begin claw at her stomach and heart. Kaemon's mud-colored gaze falls onto Ishiko's white knuckled hands with a look of disinterest. He's seen her upset many times before. In fact, it happens almost every day. Still, she looks ready to actually fight Taro, and that fact alone peaks his interest. It causes him sit up straighter, too. The slimy feel of Taro's gloating grin pores off of him in what feels like colossal waves. Kaemon silently urges Ishiko to land a punch right on Taro's malformed nose. He was sick of sticking up for her.

"I see the three of you are getting along just fine….once again," a deep voice drones. "I thought you'd all be happy to be getting an actual mission outside the village today. It looks like you aren't though. Perhaps I will tell the Tsuchikage to give the mission to a more worthy team."

The voice immediately commands their undivided attention. The three turn their heads toward the source. A man with black hair, riddled with grey, is walking toward them with a deep set frown on his face. His grey eyes are barely visible past his half closed eyelids. Though he is at least in his thirties, he has no facial hair to speak of. In Ishiko's private opinion, he's a short for a guy, though she couldn't accurately pinpoint his height. His headband is wrapped around the thigh of his right leg. Other than that, his appearance is that of an average shinobi, only he doesn't wear a flak jacket like the rest of his rank.

His large hand comes up to run his fingers through his peppered hair.

Ishiko can tell by the deep frown on his face that he's not in the mood to deal with them today. Not only are Kaemon and Taro fighting, even she is rallied up to fight with them. She watches his eyes slide closed, and a grimace passes over his face. She finds herself wondering what it is he's thinking. If only she knew.

He was wondering what he had he ever done to deserve this. The other genin squads didn't seem to have so many heated arguments in public. It just this team. He never told them that he hadn't even been jounin a whole day before he was forced to take on their squad. It was just his luck that he was forced to be with the most embarrassing squad in Rock history. In fact, they couldn't even get over their differences to baby sit some rich brat for a couple of hours. They had somehow managed to _lose_ a five year old.

Movement out of the corner of her eye draws Ishiko's attention in that direction. To her absolute disgust, Taro is making crude, suggestive gestures in her direction while waggling his eyebrows at her. She feels her hands curl into white knuckled fists. Her breath hitches in her throat, and she tries to stop herself from losing her temper. Unfortunately, she loses the battle when Taro sticks his tongue out at her. The sound of flesh hitting flesh and a deep, yet loud, curse of pain cuts through the air. A sense of satisfaction fills Ishiko's belly, only to turn into cold dread the second Taro's absolutely furious gaze fixates on her.

Seconds later he's lunging at her with a murderous look in his eyes. Ishiko easily dances out of his reach. He might be a powerhouse, but he hadn't bothered to work on his speed. As long as she kept out of his long reach, she would be safe from harm.

"Whore! Why the hell did you hit me?!" Anyone could guess who that was.

"You no good, beaten, piece of trash! Take back what you said about my family!" Ishiko snarls back. Taro lunges once again, and Ishiko dances just out of his reach. This makes it appear as if she is taunting him, and that fact angers the boy more.

Unknown to the two genin, their sensei is rubbing the bridge of his nose in pure embarrassment. He knew he should step in to help. Ishko is so much smaller than Taro. To be honest, she looked small for her age. To him, it appeared as if a strong wind would knock the girl over at any given moment, but he finds himself treating it just like he would if it were Kaemon instead of Ishiko.

"Sora-sensei," a smooth young voice breaks the man's thoughts. His grey eyes lazily open and focus on the genin talking to him. Kaemon vaguely gestures toward his physically fighting teammates. The questioning words he says next is the thought that is on everyone's mind. "This is going to be a long week, isn't it?"

Sora sighs softly and runs yet another hand through his hair. "Yes, Kaemon. It's going to be a very long week."

"We are going to fail to protect this merchant, aren't we?"

Once again, Sora releases a gentle sigh. His eyes watch the two children he's in charge of. "Yeah, we are."

"Why did you take the mission?" Kaemon asks, his eyes never leaving his teammates.

"I don't know," Sora lies. To be honest, he's being forced to take it. The Rock wants to build its strength after it's utter defeat in the last war. They were pushing children out, regardless of whether they were ready or not. Take Ishiko for instance. They pushed her through the academy much faster than necessary and put her on a squad simply because she could control her chakra a little better than the other children in her class, and they needed another head to fill this particular team. The hope was having a girl with the two boys would help, and there hadn't been any girls in their graduating class that fit the two misfits.

It didn't help one bit.

Sora once again runs his hand through hair and decides it's time to break up the fight by announcing it was time to leave.

* * *

A couple of years slip since that fateful mission. It had ended in the typical failure, like they all knew it would. Ishiko had come out mostly unscathed, but Kaemon had ended up with a couple of large scars on his chest and back. Taro had received a couple of broken bones. The merchant lost his life to the bandits who had attacked halfway through the mission.

It was an eye opener for the team.

Once they had gotten back to the village, they had made an attempt to work together. Even years later, their relationship was rocky at best, but they had started to complete missions smoother. They could work in sync with one another at the very least after hours of training together. It took a lot of sweat, tears and arguments to even get that far.

They still didn't enjoy each other's company and never actively sought each other out. Tonight is one of those rare moments where Ishiko considers finding her teammates as she stares blankly out the window.

Multiple fires have been burning unchecked for a couple of hours now. They have begun to eat, not only important documents and the wooden parts of various buildings, but also human flesh. Cries of pain and terror fill the night sky. To the working shinobi, it seems that once they put one fire another springs up when a loud thunderous noise rocks their precious village to its' roots. Ishiko shifts uneasily on the bed, pulling a knee up to her chest and hugging it lightly.

Finally, some unknown deity seems to take pity on them. The thick sheets of rain are a cheered welcome. It starves the raging fires of food, and eventually tames them down enough that the shinobi have no problem putting them out.

She's pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of feet pounding down the hallway. Lightning illuminates her room, and the thunder roars loudly. Her eyes turn to her door just as it's thrown open, and a short, black mass launches itself onto her bed and scurries beneath her blankets. Her eyes follow the now shaking lump in her bed. It honestly hadn't been a surprise when her younger brother scampered into her room. Usually, he would've run to their older brother's room, but Ishiko heard him leaving a couple hours ago.

"You're not living up to your name, Katsuo. You can't hide every time we get a thunderstorm," Ishiko softly lectures. Despite the soft chiding in her voice, she places a gentle hand in the middle of the shaking mass and starts to pat it in what she hopes is a comforting manner. The blankets shift and an almost mirror image of her own teal colored gaze stares out at her through the darkness created by the blankets. Fear coats every inch of the beautiful color. His black hair blends in with the blanket's shadow. A squeak leaves him when yet another clap of thunder rocks the room, and his eyes disappear once more.

"Big brother is out, though. Father got called away to help with the fires. Mother is missing, too," Katsuo whispers. Ishiko frowns, as the news sets in. Now that she thought about it, why wasn't she called to help? Where did her mother go? Their mother isn't a shinobi anymore. A botched mission saw to that, so they wouldn't call for her. She was used to her brother sneaking out, so she hadn't thought twice about it.

A loud boom reaches her ears, and she turns her attention back to the window. Something had been bothering her. She had seen the clouds earlier, so she hadn't been giving the thunder a second thought at first. Unease coils in her stomach now. She can feel her little brother pressing himself harder against her side just as another boom rocks the village. The fires, the noise, and the fact that she hadn't been called must be related. She feels a shudder working down her spine, since she didn't want to think about an actual answer to the questions floating around in her mind.

She finds comfort in patting her little brother's back. More than she'd care to admit. She almost releases a scream of terror when a voice rips through the almost silent house.

"Ishiko! I have something I'd like to discuss with you! Come out now!" What kind of ninja was startled by her own comrades calling out to her? She finds her thoughts racing, and her body felt incredibly heavy. She knew those voices because of her older brother's position. What did some jounin want with her? The sound of them moving toward the bedrooms spurs her into action.

"H-hold on! I'll be out in just a minute!" She leaps out of her bed, runs to her still open door and peers out into the dark hallway. She counts three dark masses standing in her family's living room. That doesn't mean there are only three, though. She glances over her shoulder at her brother. His head is poked out from beneath the blankets, and he's giving her a look full of pure terror, complete with tears. She gives him a strained smile and a wink. Making sure to keep her voice low, she whispers, "They are here to ask for my help is all. I'll just tell them we can't leave you by yourself, alright?"

He gives her a jerky nod before disappearing back beneath her blankets. She releases a shaky breath and turns her attention back on the dark shapes. Silently, she urges her feet forward, despite the overwhelming want to hide with her brother.

Slowly, she makes her way down the dark hallway until she is standing in the doorway that connects the bedroom hallway to the living room. Lightning flashes momentarily lighting up the room enough that she can see the chillingly cold looks on their faces. Each jounin is focused solely on her, so the small shadowed figure of her younger brother a couple of feet behind her doesn't go unnoticed.

"Ishiko, tell us where Deidara has gone," demands one of the jounin. The darkness makes it impossible to tell which one it is that spoke. Her teal eyes jump from one dark form to another. Confusion sets into her mind. What did Deidara have to do with these shinobi showing up in the middle of the night?

"Huh?" Mentally, Ishiko curses herself for sound so dumb. Before she has a chance to redeem herself, one of the jounin drops a shocking bombshell.

"Ishiko, you are hereby under arrest." Fear fills Ishiko, and a squeak of surprise leaves the figure behind her. Two small hands ball up in the black tank top Ishiko had worn to bed, but she doesn't feel anything. Shock came first, then numbness took over.

"I-I d-don't understand," Ishiko stutters out in a whisper. "Why am I-"

"You're guilty by association," a familiar strict voice says, drawing the two young sibling's attention. A tall imposing figure steps out from the darkest shadows into some weak light filtering through one of the windows. Raven colored hair cascades down to brush his shoulders. His eyes seem to hold a frigid light all their own with the vivid green color.

"Father," Katsuo breathes with clear disbelief. "What's going on?"

Everyone in the room ignores the younger boy. He doesn't complain like he normally would. Even he can feel the tension that is twisting like a sharp kunai through the air in the room. Ishiko still can't wrap her head around what she's being arrested for, and the jounin don't seem inclined to give her more information on the matter. The only option she can see is to try to worm it out of her strict, stubborn father. She doesn't have to wait long for him to start talking.

"You're a shame to this family." Ishiko visibly flinches at the harsh words and can't stop a defiant glare from appearing on her young features. "We have managed to clear our names of suspicion and uphold a good name in this village…until now that is. Your brother saw to that."

"What?" Ishiko feels even more confused at this statement. Hadn't the jounin said something about Deidara? What did Daichi have to do with anything? Her father's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"He stole a vital piece of information from the Rock Village," he says in a cold voice. Ishiko starts to shake as possibilities of what might happen to her brother runs through her mind. "He used Deidara's vicious attack on the village as a distraction and killed the ANBU guarding the scroll."

Ishiko's eyes narrow further. There it was again. Deidara's name was mentioned, only this time more information was attached. Ishiko finds herself slowly shaking her head. There is no way her childhood friend would attack the village. He was on his way to making jounin. He was about to be fifteen in a month or two, and she would thirteen only a couple of months later. It just didn't make any sense to her.

"Deidara wouldn't…" Ishiko trails off when the jounin in the middle of the room makes a hand motion. The shinobi on either side of him seem to disappear before her eyes. Ishiko doesn't have time to react when one of them jerks Katsuo away, and the other kicks the back of her knees making them buckle. The moment her knees collide with the hard wooden floor, her wrists are snatched and wretched upwards painfully. The muscles in her shoulders protest at the unnatural way they are being strained, and she lets out a pained grunt and leans forward in an attempt to take some pressure off of the muscles. This is ineffective since the jounin moves his grip to accommodate her movement. Her eyes flick up when she hears movement approaching her.

"The charge against you is the association and help to both crimes," Ishiko's father states in the same cold tone. Ishiko's eyes close and her head tilts toward the floor in frustration. Why weren't they listening? She had nothing to do with this! She didn't even know anything about this! Why did the village have to be so harsh and cold, even to their own shinobi? She bites her lip in an attempt to fight the bitter tears that are threatening to spill from her eyes. She's barely a chuunin. There is no way she can fight four jounin. Her lavender colored hair falls into her face, thankfully shielding her crumbling resolve.

"I don't understand! What crimes could I have helped commit when I've been home the whole time?!" It seems like everyone in the room is holding their breath. All eyes are focused on Ishiko.

"Deidara's crime is of physically attacking and abandoning our village. You must have known about it or at the very least seen some sign of it," starts the jounin next to her father; the same one that had given the signal to the others. Her teal eyes open up, and her soft lavender hair tickles her cheek when she lifts her head to stare at the jounin in horror. She would never admit it, but she had become suspicious over the past couple of years. It started with him not wearing the headband, followed by the strange remarks. It started to escalate to the point that it seemed that he hated all of the Rock shinobi. Ishiko feels every muscle in her body tense, and her bottom lip starts to tremble. She hadn't wanted to believe it at the time, so she simply ignored them as a boy going through puberty. She thought he'd get better.

"You're brother's crime is of stealing forbidden information. We assume that he spoke to either you or Deidara about his plans. No one could have come up with such a flawless plan on their own, and as Deidara and you were close, you must have had some idea of what was going on," finishes the Jounin holding her arms. His grip tights for a moment, and Ishiko realizes she can't feel her hands anymore. She assumes it's from the awkward positions her arms are currently in. Inwardly, she groans at the thought of them tingling once they got proper circulation.

A yell from Katsuo draws the attention of the adults in the room. He had slipped out of the jounin's now loose grip and ran across the room. He was currently attempting to free his older sister by punching the back of the Jounin holding her.

"Let her go! She's been here with me! She hasn't done nothing to no one! You're hurting her!" The jounin that had been holding Katsuo comes to the aid of his comrade. He lifts the young boy up, which causes Katsuo to kick and scream in frustration.

"Katsuo!" a sharp voice snaps, drawing the young boy's attention and makes him fall silent. "Go to your room."

Ishiko doesn't have to see her brother to know that he is about to protest. To save him from punishment, she quickly intervenes.

"Aw, Katsou, do as your told. I'll be there to protect you from whatever scares you after I clear up my name. This is just a big misunderstanding, and they'll see. Dad'll help me get this figured out."

Katsou's teal-colored gaze rests on his sister's shadowy, hunched form. "Promise?"

Ishiko tenses for a moment, but instantly regrets it when pain washes over her wrists and arms. The stupid jounin had responded out of habit by pressing her arms almost to the breaking point. Forcing her muscles to relax, she lets her mind wander over the possibilities. Would she really be able to fulfill her promise? It honestly doesn't seem like she has to long to live. The Rock Village isn't known for being very forgiving to traitors. They aren't as harsh as the Mist village, but they are still cold, strict, and harsh.

Lightning lights the room once more. Katsou is gifted one more look at his sister's pained face before darkness engulfs the room once more.

"I promise for as long as I live, baby brother. Now, please go to your room and don't come out no matter what you hear," Ishiko whispers. Thunder rumbles like some large, angry beast. Katsou flinches. The shinobi cautiously puts the boy down. With one last look at his sister's shadow, he hurries to his room. Once he is out of sight, Ishiko breathes a soft sigh of strained relief and tries to think of something to say. Defiant teal eyes finally lift to glare at her father's silhouette.

"I have no idea what came over them. I do know that I have no part in it," she hisses past clenched teeth. The moment she is done speaking, the sound of glass breaking mixes with another rumble of thunder. A hot, sticky liquid runs down her arms. The sound of a solid thump and the sudden feeling in her arms starts off what she would later claim was the worst night of her young life.

It all happens too quickly for her to think coherently over the situation. Her life is changed in a single night.

"Get up! Ishiko, move!"

Teal eyes widen at the familiar voice, and her hands start to shake. Without a second thought, her ninja training takes over, and her instinct to survive kicks in sending her into autopilot. Now that her hands are free, she fumbles around for some type of weapon. The sound of clanking metal rings loudly in her ears. Finally, her hands find a discarded kunai. Unfortunately, it's by the edge nicking the tip of her fingers. She barely registers the pain as her hand wraps around the hilt. She remains in a crouched position and tries to sense any incoming kunai, making sure to easily knock them away. She's faintly aware of the fact that the warm liquid on her arms is slowly cooling and beginning to crust.

"Run! Ishiko, get out of here!" A loud noise rocks the house that sure didn't sound like thunder. She hesitates for a moment before numbly half crawling, half stumbling to the door. Once her hand touches the cold metal of the handles, she flings it open and throws herself out into the cold rain and mud. The cool wet night air assaults the exposed skin on her arms and legs. Without a second thought, she's on her feet and running into darkness at a dead run.

The cold rain roughly drags her shocked brain back to the present. Daichi's voice echoes in her mind, and she looks back toward her house in horror. He had killed that jounin that had been holding her; she was sure of it. Gods only knew who else he had killed after she'd left! On top of that, he'd stolen valuable village information! Now, she would look like an associate for running! What had she been thinking at that moment?

Oh, right. She hadn't had a single thought. She just followed the orders of a familiar voice like a good shinobi would. Why couldn't she ever seem to think for herself? Her dead run slows to a walk. A rapid bolt of lightning lights up the sky as well as the area surrounding Ishiko. Gaping holes and burn marks scorched various parts of the familiar buildings. She can faintly hear shinobi calling out to each other over the din of rain. This was Deidara's doing. She's sure of it now that she has seen the evidence. The very thought made her sick to her stomach.

She numbly passes a dark alley on her way through the village. She is so busy looking at the damage done, that she doesn't actually pay close attention to her surroundings. A large, cold hand falls over her mouth and jerks her into the shadows. She switches the kunai from her dominant right hand to her left. Her right arm swings up to grab the wrist of the offender. A second hand grabs her right wrist halting her attempts to rip the hand from her mouth. Out of instinct, she quickly lashes out with the kunai that she had never released during her escape. Luckily for the fingers on the hand, its owner has quick reflexes, and it narrowly misses losing a finger or two. Unlucky for Ishiko, her aim is wild and full of emotion. White hot pain races up her right arm, all the way to her shoulder. The sharp kunai easily opens a nice, deep wound that starts from her wrist and jaggedly goes all the way to her elbow. Tears of pain spring up in her eyes, but the adrenaline from the confrontation is still coursing through her body. It helps to numb the pain just enough that she can tolerate it. A gasp and a curse later, she hears a deep chuckle she could recognize anywhere. Trying to ignore the pain, she regrips the kunai in her left hand and thrusts it at the sound of Deidara's chuckle.

"You've always been such a klutz, hm. You'd think you'd be better since you're supposed to be a Rock Shinobi," Ishiko's teal eyes narrow in anger at his mocking tone. Tears of pain and confusion cloud her vision, but she stubbornly fights them off. She can't lose what little sight she has left. She has to keep an eye on her new 'enemy'. This whole mess is all his fault! If he just kept quiet and done as he was told, none of this would have happened! Why did he have to create waves? Why did he have to always stand out? Why couldn't she be in her nice warm bed right now? Why did she have to be standing in the freezing rain covered in her own blood and the blood of a dead jounin? The most she should be worrying about is how to comfort Katsuo due to his irrational fear of thunder. Anger helps to further dull the piercing pain in her arm. The freezing rain helps too.

"You!" she hisses between clenched teeth. Deidara takes a wary step back in shock at her sudden anger toward him. Both knew that she wouldn't pose much of a threat to him, but he still found it uneasy to have his only friend angry with him. Ishiko's small blood covered finger pokes him threateningly in the chest, and she takes an equally threatening step toward him. "You just had to take me down with you, didn't you?! Why can't you just do what you are told?! Why must you be so different from everyone else?! Look at what you did to our village! What the hell is going through that puny thing you call a brain?!"

Her small body heaves with emotional pain and fury. Her lungs burn for air, yet all Deidara can do is stare at her blankly. It just infuriated her further. It appears he can't comprehend why she's yelling at him. As she watches, his face slowly morphs into the look he gets when he becomes impatient.

_How __**dare **__he look at her like that!_

"I just wanted to tell you I was leaving," he whispers. Ishiko barely catches the words over the pouring rain. A flash of lightning gives Ishiko the chance to see her friend's young, yet serious face. When had he grown up? When had he looked more like a man than the child she grew up with?

Where had her time gone? The chance to actually see him is gone in a moment. Her fists tighten, and a rush of pain washes up her right forearm immediately reminding her of her wound. Her left hand instinctively moves to cover the wound, and she hisses in pain at the slightest touch. The adrenaline pumping in her system seems to be wearing off, and the numbing effect is quickly disappearing along with it. She can't hold back her tears at this point.

The warmth of her tears is a stark contrast to the freezing rain running down her face. An awkward silence passes between the two of them. Ishiko briefly wonders if her tears are from confusion, the pain in her arm, the betrayal of the people closest to her, or a combination of all three. She was leaning toward the last option. A large warm hand captures her right one, causing her to flinch back. She regrets the move as the hand doesn't realize her, and it tugs painfully at her wound.

She hisses loudly in pain and stops resisting. Deidara pulls her bloody left hand away and lifts her injured arm up for inspection. She's unsure of what he is actually looking at since she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. The sound of ripping material soon reaches her ears.

"This should hold until Daichi finds you. He'll know where to go to get you proper medical attention," Deidara says, tying a strip of cloth around the cut. Once it's secure, he leans toward her, drawing her gaze upwards. All at once, she wishes that she could actually see him, and not the blob he had become. She wishes she had the courage to ask him what the hell was going on. Unfortunately, the words become a ball in her throat, and she's unable to utter a single sound. His voice sounds so… hurt. It isn't something she's used to hearing. His fingers brush her wet hair out of her face, startling her. It's almost like he can see her. "Ishiko, we'll meet again. I promise. I'll explain everything then. Just be safe until then."

The sound of voices causes Ishiko look behind her. Lightning lights the world up again. Thunder rumbles, and the voices get closer. When she turns back, her friend's silhouette is gone. She suddenly feels very small and alone in the world. She stands there letting the cold rain run over her skin. She's so confused on what to do. Should she run? Should she wait to get caught?

No.

The village won't believe she panicked because of the battle raging in her house. She's a chuunin and should be used to such battles already. She should be able to think clearly in any situation. She shouldn't have panicked in the first place.

No. Letting herself be captured wouldn't make her situation any worse. In fact, it'd likely get worse. Her mouth goes dry, and her throat begins to burn. She'll be treated as a rogue ninja.

Her teal eyes drift in the direction of her house. It takes everything in her body not to go scampering back. It's one of the few places she feels safe. Her heart sinks when she realizes she spent the last moments in her house terrified with blood on her. She closes her eyes and swallows hard. The voices ring loudly within feet of her. She knew who it was. It should come as some relief it wasn't pursuing ninja, but it just made her feel even emptier.

The owner of the voice is the old man who ran the grocery store on the corner near her house. It sounds like his wife and youngest son is with him. They must have heard her yelling at Deidara and came to investigate. She turns to face them when they appear. None of them have any shinobi training. She can easily escape, but she finds herself froze in place. Lightning grants her one last sight of the old couple and their son. The looks of concern tears at her heart, creating deep scars she wasn't sure would ever heal.

"Ishiko, what is wrong? What is going on?" The old man calls over the falling water. She doesn't reply. Instead, she stares at their dark silhouettes miserably. The son moves to stand in front of his parents. It's like he senses something wrong. Or maybe he saw the blood on her and assumed the worst, but she has a feeling that he's shaking.

Slowly, she begins to gather chakra to her legs. Once she has the sufficient amount, she crouches and releases it in order to spring quickly onto a nearby windowsill, which she uses to propel her next jump onto the roof of another building. Once she makes it onto the rooftop, she about loses her footing. She blames it on the rain, but she knows it's because she's crying. The pain sure isn't helping either. She leaves them without responding to them at all.

It only takes her moments to get out of the village. Most of the attention is still on getting wounded shinobi and civilians out of the buildings Deidara destroyed, so Ishiko has no problem slipping out of the village. She pauses just outside to look back on the only place she's ever known. A voice startles her and makes her grip the only weapon she has at that moment. How did people keep sneaking up on her like this? How had she survived this long when she left herself so very painfully open?

"I never meant to get you involved, baby sister." Her brother's voice cuts through the night, and she finds her eyes searching the darkness for him. She desperately needs to see his face, but she also wants to punch him. A confusing mix of emotions tangle in the pit of her stomach, and all she can do is let out a strangled sound. She hears him sigh before saying gently. "Deidara didn't mean to either. We didn't think they'd come after you. I'm so very sorry. I thought I had everything planned correctly, but it seems I didn't. My mistake cost you more than I could ever have thought."

She releases a soft hiss, but that's the only sound she can make. It's taking all her concentration not to just throw herself into his arms and sob to her heart's content. She hears him shuffle and tenses. She turns in that direction, but she still comes up empty handed.

_Come out, you coward!_ She screams this internally, since her mouth still refused to actually function. To top it all off, she's never felt more terrified of her brother and not being able to find him just made it worse. His soft voice cuts through the night once more. "I…. I brought you this. I know how much it means to you."

A piece of cloth and cold metal touch her hand, causing her to jerk away from it. After a few tense seconds, she feels it prodding her once more. She spins to face that direction. The clouds make it impossible to actually see her older brother, but she can see a dark shadow where he is standing.

Once more, he nudges her with the cool metal. Her heart leaps into her throat, but she knows it's not a weapon. It's blunt and square.

Then it hits her what it is. It's her headband. He had gone through the trouble of getting it from the house. She has to think for a moment about what to do with the kunai, since her right arm arm is now dangling uselessly at her side. It lost feeling and has already soaked the temporary cloth Deidara used to wrap it. Lightning flashes again with good timing. It reflects off of a headband being held out to her. She places the handle of the kunai between her teeth and slowly reaches out to grab her headband. She didn't know why she wanted the silly thing so bad. It isn't like she has a home to return to now. It was meaningless.

Tears fall even harder. No. It isn't meaningless. It represents so many precious memories. Memories she never wanted to forget. She snatches it away and cradles it to her chest. Her knees felt weak all at once, and it took all her strength to remain upright.

So many emotions threaten to overwhelm her all at once. She's a shinobi! She shouldn't be crying! Still, her bottom lip continues to quiver. The faces of Katsuo, her mother, her friends, her team, and so many others flash through her mind's eye. She won't ever get to see them again. If she does happen to meet up with them, they'll be her enemy. They will attack her without hesitation. She'll be their enemy. She loses the fight with her legs, and she sinks to the ground gripping the headband to her chest. The dam holding her emotions back fully breaks, and she starts to sob hard. The kunai clatters to the ground in the midst of her breakdown.

What is she going to do? She's only a child. Where would she go? How would she survive? She's a rogue now, whether she liked it or not, and they weren't known for having long life spans. She doesn't have a home and is doomed to be hunted for the rest of her natural life upon this land.

All for a misunderstanding. All for following orders like she had been trained to do.

A hand hesitantly begins to pet her hair, and she takes a small amount of comfort in it. There isn't a point in pulling away, or swatting him aside. He's her only sure way of survival. Daichi is older and more experienced than she is. Maybe her options aren't nearly as bleak as she first thought them to be. That line of thought does nothing to help the hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach, or the hole in her heart. The next words she hears from her older brother only makes this whole situation worse.

"You weren't supposed to be here. Ishiko, I don't have a plan for you, and you aren't coming with me. I'll take you as far as I can, but you'll have to leave my side sooner rather than later. ANBU will be searching for us. I can't protect us both. We will find a place for you to hide out though. I promise."

With that, his hand is gone. The last bit of comfort she had in the world just left her. She's alone. No home, no family, and no allies.

Maybe if she had thought a little, she wouldn't be in this mess.

Maybe she could've prevented all this if she confronted Deidara about her growing suspicions.

Maybe she would be warm now, not stuck in the rain in her pajamas.

She stands up slowly and takes the first few reluctant steps of her new life. She has no destination in mind, and her mind is growing foggy due to the pain in her arm. She's freezing too. She figured she'd just walk till she got tired and collapsed, or the ANBU caught up with her. Her brother made just enough noise to keep her heading in the direction he desired. Whether he was frustrated by her snail's pace or not, she will never know.

To be honest, she no longer cared. Deidara and Daichi had cost her everything, and they both left her. Or in Daichi's case, planned to leave her.

What a life….


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you enjoy the story! (: This is the last chapter I have ready, so it might take me a bit longer to get the next one out!

Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

* * *

The years fly by without anyone truly noticing.

It's funny how time manages to do that. People's lives slowly pass before their very eyes. Young kids grow into adults. Past pain slowly heals to a somewhat bearable ache. Scars form over wounds received, even if they never truly heal. People continue to soldier on, despite what happens to them. Each person finding an internal strength they never realized they had before. Before long, the Hidden Rock Village is rebuilt and just as powerful as before. The only thing time never truly healed is the hearts of the people involved in the incident. Each one is feeling a different type of emotion over how everything turned out. Two still feel guilty, and they blame themselves to some degree. One still feels confused, angry, and betrayed.

The bar room is smokey and full of the low, yet strangely comforting, hum of voices. No one's truly drunk enough to any trouble, but nearly every soul is nursing some kind of alcohol. The place has a relaxed atmosphere that speaks of a place that friends can get together to chat about their day and nothing more.

Sadly, that isn't why the young lavender-haired woman is here. Her teal eyes are closed, and her cheek rests against the knuckles of her closed fist. Her arm props up her tired head. Her skin's slightly paler than usual due to the cold she'd contracted during her mission. She knew the whole thing had been a stupid idea from the get go, but she was running dangerously low on funds yet again. She doesn't relish the thought of turning to bounty work to feed herself, and she avoids it as much as she can. Trading people's lives for food always left a bad taste in her mouth. Unfortunately, the only work a rogue shinobi could get is under the table dirty work. Once again, that left a bad taste in her mouth. Thankfully, she was able to find something that didn't directly involve her killing someone.

She releases a short huffing sigh of impatience. If she were to be honest with herself, she still isn't much of a fighter. As if her body agrees, she sneezes hard so hard she almost smacks her face off the table. Guess that's what she gets for letting herself relax even a little during her mission. She wipes the spit off her mouth with a sense of disgust and tries to ignore the sympathetic look she gets from the old bartender. Thankfully, he disappears behind large a bald rogue ninja from the Hidden Star Village.

The young woman sniffles slightly and turns her eyes to boredly look at the only door to this place. Her fingers begin to lightly tap the top of her table in time with her foot tapping on the floor. A shudder wracks her body, and she glances down at her clothes. She is positively freezing, despite sitting close to the heater. Perhaps she should have worn something warmer than the tight, soft colored lavender t-shirt shirt that matched her hair and black capris that came down to just below her knees.

No, warmer clothes won't make a difference. She's probably running a fever. She releases a soft sigh and turns her attention back to the door. She reaches her right hand down to fiddle with the kunai pouch strapped to her right leg just as she sneezes again. This cold likely wouldn't last long. She just needs to get some rest, and she'd be right as rain. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the pristine white bandage wrapped around her right arm from wrist to elbow. Reluctantly, she turns her attention from the door to the bandage.

She'll blame it on the fever, but memories of her former village float to the front of her mind. Her fingers unconsciously trace the hideous scar along her right arm. It's a habit she isn't aware of. She always did it when she focuses hard, or if she doesn't feel good. A strange sense of homesickness swells up. She must not be feeling good at all to feel that way. How long had it been since she thought of the Rock Village?

Her fingers move from the kunai pouch up to brush the cold metal hanging from around her neck. She's not even sure why, but she still holds onto the silly thing that holds absolutely no meaning anymore. Many of the memories have faded with time, and it brought more pain than happiness these days. Her eyes lift to look at the old bartender, who was smiling at a customer. Her thoughts shift into a different direction. They shift to the night she first arrived at this bar. She turned up on his doorstep incoherent and running a bad fever. She still didn't understand why he had taken a strange girl in, but he had. If it hadn't been for his kindness, she probably wouldn't have made it.

Her eyes turn back to the bandage. It that kindness that kept her from losing her right arm, which had become infected, but it had left a disfiguring scar behind that she couldn't stand to look at. Due to that, the bandage only came off when she showered. Still, she was indebted to the old man, so she did all she could to help him out.

With a frown, she thinks about Deidara and her brother. She hasn't seen Deidara since that faithful night. Daichi had been in and out. Whenever she needed him, he was there up until she ended up at the bar. After that, he had vanished into thin air. She heard rumors a year or so ago about a boy who was good with explosives, but those turned out to be rumors. The 'boy' was never where they claimed he'd been seen, so she gave up looking for either of them.

The poor door suddenly opens and meets the wall with a solid thud, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room. The old man lets out a snarl at the large silhouette. That's the third time this month he'd have to repair a hole in his wall. Why he put up with such behavior is beyond Ishiko's understanding. She would never question it though. This bar is special to everyone who entered it, so most treated it with respect.

Those who didn't had to deal with the bar's guards. Ishiko and a few of the other more powerful rogues kept the peace here most of the time, so he got plenty of money for his troubles. In all honesty, the hole is more of an inconvenience than a money issue. After all, it isn't like he's hurting for money. The name of the bar is "Safe Haven", and it's a haven to all sorts of rogue ninjas. It's located in a very remote area of the land of Water. It's hidden away in an area away from regular citizens, and it's not traveled by often. One had to be a ninja just to make it to the bar. Due to this, rogues are left alone, but they aren't the only ones who sought shelter within the bar. Regular, loyal ninjas did to. The old man who owned the place had a special deal with the current Mizukage. The deal consisted of a promise the rogues would be safe while on the old man's property, while the regular ninjas were to be treated the same. And they were when they came around, tired and looking for a warm bed to sleep in. It isn't widely known, but the regular ninja usually got a discount on beds. That was another part of the deal made with the Mizukage. Ishiko suspected that the Mist village acquired a healthy sum from the old man to look the other way as well.

Per his wishes, the old man's allowed to have people enforce his peace. There were three he had chosen to do so. One is an old ninja from the Whirlpool country. The man practically lived at the bar, which isn't surprising since the Whirlpool country isn't around anymore. Despite his age, he's a handful to deal with and regularly knocked ruffians to the ground with little to no effort. The second is a young mysterious man from the Hidden Sand, who's rarely seen. He has a knack for showing up right when they needed him the most. The last is Ishiko, a young ninja hailing from the Hidden Rock Village. She, like the other young man, is rarely around. She doesn't have the knack of showing up when needed most though. She just floats in and out of the area between her side jobs. When she is around, she does her best to keep order, though it usually means she assists the old man with throwing out ruffians.

Every set of eyes in the bar turn toward the door. The hail-like rain beats through the open door and into the room, and the wind starts to chill everyone. A few grumbles and snarls cause the shadowy man to quickly kick the door shut. He turns and all but runs over to a glaring Ishiko. He sits down and twitches nervously. His beady eyes shift awkwardly around the room, as if he expects the few rogues in the room to suddenly jump him. Much to his very apparent relief, everyone returns to what they were doing before he entered the building.

Ishiko continues to lean on her hand as she observes him. She couldn't remember why she became associated with him other than he paid well. He's older, almost 50, and has thin, peppery hair. He continues to grow wider each time she sees him. For some unknown reason, he retired from being a ninja and now deals with some shady guy. Of course, he seeks Ishiko out to help him along when it came to gathering information on various black market bounties. In return, he gives her part of his cut. Her job is to find the 'bounty' and report all his habits, attacks, allies, and location to her associate, so he can pass the information along to the guy that pays them.

Ishiko is pissed about the last couple bounties. The man before her didn't even have the balls to show his face when he requested her services. Instead, he sent some lackey of his to deliver a list of targets. She had been drug all over the 5 great nations. Her fists clench tightly as she barely keeps her temper in check. He hadn't paid her for the last couple of bounties she sent him information on, and she's dangerously low on money and patience.

This last bounty had taken the cake though. He'd been next to impossible to find. When she finally managed to find him, she found out the guy was a warrior priest living inside a fortified temple. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of other warrior priests floating around the grounds. The target seemed to be a head priest of some kind, and he almost always had someone with him. She spent hours sitting on top of a stupid wall watching the bounty while avoiding detection by the other priests. A few times she had almost been caught, but she somehow managed to slide away. It'd taken her months to get any worthwhile details. Even then, she isn't pleased with what she got. She didn't even know any of the guy's attacks!

"Wha-" starts her associate in a squeaky voice, but she quickly intervenes by lifting her hand between them. His voice always rubs her nerves the wrong way, and she's already in a foul mood. She moves her hand to rub the bridge of her nose with a sigh, and she tries to figure out the most delicate way of venting her anger.

She's unable to find one.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting here for you to finally get your shit together and show up?" Ishiko practically growls at him. She doesn't wait for a reply though. Her eyes close once more, and her cheek returns to resting against the knuckles on her hand. "I didn't get much on this last one. He's in a temple within the boundaries of the Fire Country. He also seems to be one of the higher ranking priests. There are many other…..warrior priests." She opens her eyes to see him open his mouth, but she saves him the trouble of asking his next question.

"They all look alike. Bald heads and wearing red and yellow robes. I don't know one from the other, so I wasn't able to count them." She watches with a shred of satisfaction as her companion's eyes widen for a moment. It seems like his brain is trying to figure out a reasonable number. Though once Ishiko's sarcastic words sink in, his eyes narrow. He is clearly barely able to contain the snarl he wants to give her. Despite her desire to avoid conflict, she's undoubtedly a powerful fighter in her own right. She's not as powerful as his client, but she's still able to hold her own. With a sigh, he rubs his forehead praying it gets rid of the onsetting headache.

"He won't be pleased. At least tell me you managed to mark the map this time." He mutters, only to blink when a map is pushed into his face. His large greedy hand snatches at the piece of paper only to come up empty. His simple black eyes lift to look into angry teal ones.

"I want payment right here right now. 75% this time." His eyes widen at the demand, and he violently shakes his head.

"Fuck no! 50% like every other time," he snarls at the young woman sitting across from him. He pauses when a new waitress wanders over with a smile on her face. Ishiko just watches him with an amused smile on her face. He was flustered by the intrusion, while she wasn't bothered in the slightest.

"Hello sir. Welcome to Safe Haven. What can I get you tonight?" she asks like she was taught to. The smile's clearly forced though. Ishiko glances up to see the woman is lightly trembling. It seems she hasn't acclimated to the environment yet.

"Sake, please." The older man snaps drawing Ishiko's eyes back to him. She rolls her eyes at his attitude. Thankfully, it has the opposite effect on the girl.

The waitress bows and hurries away with a small, nearly silent, squeal. Ishiko gains a soft smile on her face and shakes her head. The girl just took her first order on her own. Ishiko's attention drifts back to her fuming associate. Just as he opens his mouth to start to argue about the percentage of the cut she deserves, the door opens once more. The wind howls through along with the rain.

Ishiko glances from her associate to the door. Thankfully the two figures who step in are more considerate than the man before her. The first figure to enter only reaches Ishiko's upper stomach/lower chest. They are completely covered in a black and red cloak along with a bamboo hat that has white strings hanging down, effectively hiding the face from view. The person walks toward the bartender with a type of lurch, almost like he was crawling on all fours like an animal.

The second is likely a little taller than her and wears the same cloak and hat combo. Their head is tilted downward, towards the floor. The higher neckband helps to hide their face from Ishiko's sight. The person has broad shoulders, but that's about the only thing that's distinguishable.

Ishiko watches them cross the room cautiously, just as she would any stranger in her 'home'. Once she deems them as not a threat to the comfortable peace, she turns her attention back to her associate. What she sees is amusing to her in a cruel way.

The man across the table is sweating profusely. In fact, she can see beads of sweat rolling down his temples and over his double chin. He is also incredibly pale, almost as if he's seen the ghost of a dead relative. His twitching is worse than ever, and it's obvious he's terrified of the two who just entered.

"75%? Alright, deal. I need to go though. I have an appointment to keep," he says in a single breath and snatches the map from her hands. He slams a scroll onto the table and makes quick signs. A brief case appears over the storage scroll in a puff of smoke. He proceeds to shove it at her almost violently. She barely has time to catch it before it falls from the table. When she looks up, she finds he has disappeared. She's slightly surprised he can still move that fast. A soft, disappointed sound draws her attention to her right. She finds the waitress standing there with a bottle of cold, fresh sake. Ishiko wastes no time in gesturing to the two new strangers.

"Give it to them. Put it on my tab." She stands with a soft groan. She's exhausted and has a feeling the briefcase holds the money she is owed. She begins to wind her way through the bar room while holding the briefcase close to her chest. You could never be too careful with rogues. Finally, she reaches the stairs disappears up to the room she claimed as her own. The bartender and three ninja all have a place to stay on the top floor, while the ground floor has a couple spare rooms for those who need a place to stay the night. It's time for a warm shower, and a long good night's rest.

After she counts her money of course. The last thing she'll stand for is being ripped off. She hesitates halfway up the stairs and glances back. She has an unsettling feeling she was being watched while she walked across the floor. Goosebumps raise over her arms, and she swallows hard. Maybe it's just her imagination?

Yeah, she'll go with that. If she didn't, paranoia would set in, and she'll have a hard time sleeping. Thankfully, she doesn't have too much trouble dozing off.

Unfortunately, she only manages to catch a couple hours of sleep since someone has other plans for her. In the early hours of the morning, something rouses her from her slumber.

Knock.

"Go away," states a sleep-laden feminine voice. It's slightly muffled due to her face being buried into her pillow. She doesn't know nor does she particularly care if the person on the other side of the door heard what she said.

Knock, knock.

She cares now.

"I said go away!" The now irritated voice snaps loudly at the offending noise. Cold teal eyes lift up from the peach colored pillow to glare moodily at the dark brown wooden door for a few minutes. She practically dares the inanimate object to make another sound, as if it was all the doors fault she was now awake. A few moments of peaceful silence pass blissfully by. After a sigh of relief, Ishiko lets her head fall back onto the pillow. She's laying face down with her arms wrapped around the pillow. Her teal eyes close, and she tries to return to her pleasant dreams. It's not often that she got restful sleep, and she wanted to relish every last second.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Angry teal eyes snap up from the pillow to glare at the door once again. She was so close to dozing off when that infuriating noise interrupted her again. Multiple threats are mentally thrown at the poor door, though none of the threats are well thought out or even finished for that matter. They are just the product of her frustration, and she has no intention of acting them on them. Mornings aren't her forte, especially when someone rudely wakes her.

Ishiko finally gives up on sleeping when another bout of urgent pounding rings out on the defenseless door. She'll have to be good with the few hours of sleep she managed to grab. It isn't anything new. Rogues live their lives constantly on edge, so her body has adapted to it. She has food pills to help her with her energy levels if she needs them. With more effort than she'll admit, she manages to push her body up onto her hands and knees. After sitting in that position for a moment, she settles back to sit on her legs and runs a hand through her wild hair, though she knows it's useless to try to tame it. She hadn't bothered drying it before she went to sleep and this is the consequences of her actions. Her teal eyes roam over to stare blankly at the door. Is there an appointment that she has, once again, forgotten to make with a client of hers?

No. She's sure of it. When she gathers information, she doesn't schedule anything for months. One never knows how long it'll take to get the information she needed. So, who would dare interrupt her precious sleeping hours? Irritation crosses her face when the image of the chubby man she'd met with crosses her mind.

Did he decide to go back on his deal? Is he here for the money he'd given her? She twists her body until she can swing her legs over the edge of the bed. Within moments, her feet touch the cold wooden floor. The large shirt she wears to bed falls down to her thighs when she stands. Ishiko takes a moment to make sure nothing other than her thighs are showing before she loudly stomps over to the door. With a loud growl, she reaches out to grab the knob. It had to be that fool. Only he is stupid enough to continue to seek her out.

"Look, tell your client…" Ishiko states coldly when she yanks the door open. "….that's all the infom-"

The words die on her lips when her eyes meet the black and red cloak the strangers had been wearing. Her eyes drift down to their feet, sizing them up. She faintly notes they are wearing black nail polish on their toes before her gaze drifts back up to the figure's face. They were indeed taller than her by a couple inches. Once her eyes make it to the face, she discovers not much can be seen. Blonde hair covers the left eye and a mischievous blue eye

stares back at her.

A sense of déjà vu fills her entire being. She feels she should know the person standing before her. A deep chuckle emanates from the male, spiking her curiosity. Her eyes narrow just a little. She's positive that she knows that laugh, but where has she heard it before? She leans up on her tiptoes in an attempt to get a better look at him. She suddenly wishes she hadn't been so curious.

Her teal eyes widen when she spots the damaged Rock Village headband on his forehead. One name crosses her mind. _Deidara._

It couldn't be! He had vanished into her memories! She'd searched for him, but she never found any traces of him! She always assumed the ANBU had caught up to him before she could, and he was gone forever. A cold tendril worms its way down her spine. The man before her is fully grown, and she can't see his face well. A headband means nothing! There's a chance she's mistaken. She keeps repeating that in her brain like a mantra.

Those dreams are crushed in seconds. All it takes is a few words.

"You've grown, Ishiko." Her hand clenches the doorknob so tight, her knuckles turn white. Her other hand grips the door frame just as tightly, and her world spins wildly. His voice is deeper than she remembers, but he was just shy of fifteen when he abandoned the village. Still, the tone he uses, and the way he says her name is so painfully familiar that it's unmistakable. She grew up beside him for as long as she can remember, and they had only been apart for a couple short years.

All at once, hell breaks loose. Before Deidara can react, let alone think, her fist connects with his left cheek. He stumbles back from shock more than the strength of the blow. The punch stung a little, but his pride hurt more. A sneer forms over his face, and she can see a flash of anger in his visible blue eye, but she doesn't care.

"Bastard." There is a tremble to her voice that she hates. So much emotion is packed into that one word.

Then, the solid sound of her slamming the door echoes through the hallway. It's silent for a moment, almost like the calm before the storm. She can hear a harsh chuckle from the other side of the door, and her heart sinks. There were two strangers, that sound didn't come from Deidara, so she can only assume it came from the other one. Dread fills her. She was outnumbered, and Deidara had always been stronger than her.

She grits her teeth. Why is she _whining?_ She has grown stronger over the years. She's no longer the young girl who used to spar with him in the early mornings. She needs to have confidence in her own abilities, or she _would_ fail.

First things first, she needs to get out of here. She turns her back to the door and glances around the room. The obvious choice is the window, since it's the only other way out of the room. That's a given, and it wouldn't be hard to escape out of it. She's petite enough.

"I see how positively thrilled she is at seeing you once again, brat," the gravelly voice of Deidara's companion reaches her ears through the door. She leans her head back against the door just as the pounding starts up again. She flinches softly at the sound and opens her eyes to focus on the window. He uses explosives, and he isn't above destroying property to get what he wanted. He isn't patient either. The sound of his pounding gets even louder. She has moments, at best, to decide what to do, or she'd be confronting him head on whether she wanted to or not. She likes the odds of running better than she did fighting the two. She knows the layout of the land and is confident she can lose the two of them in the forest. Who knew what Deidara has learned in his time away from the village, and she has no idea who the other one is.

"Go to hell, Deidara!" Ishiko yells through the door. This does nothing to help her situation, but the childish comment makes her feel a little better. This statement only fuels the quiet, cruel laughter coming from the other man. She hears Deidara snarl, and she gathers chakra to her legs to give herself the extra boost she needs to cross the room in seconds. Just as she's about to push off the door, the pounding stops, and the sound of his voice stops her in her tracks.

"Ishiko, hm, please just listen to me. I just want to talk to you, hm. I promised I'd explain everything, didn't I?" She feels a band squeeze around her chest. She _**knows**_ she shouldn't listen to him, but her curiosity is stronger than her common sense. She spent countless nights lying awake and wondering what was going through their heads that night. What led them to betray everything they had ever known? She tenses when she hears his voice soften a little more. It sends a chill through her very being. "Please, Ishiko, please. Just… open the door, hm. Let's talk."

She closes her eyes tightly. This is a trick. It has to be, but she can't help it. She has so many questions, and he's practically standing before her. She _needs_ to know why her life was ruined. With a sigh, she pulls away from the door and turns to face it. She has a sinking feeling that she's going to regret this. She makes sure to wedge her foot just behind the door, and she opens it a sliver. Blue meets her teal gaze, and it's all she can do not to slam the door once more. Much to her complete and utter frustration, he places a hand on the door and pushes lightly, but she refuses to budge. He stops when he sees the clearly threatening glare on her face.

She wanted to neuter him, and all three of them knew it. Deidara, however, is unfazed by the silent threat. This isn't the first time he's seen such a look on her face. It was quite common when they were kids, and he always laughed in her face for it or taunted her. The glaring contest continues for longer than necessary. Obviously, Deidara's companion becomes bored, since he starts his strange lurking walk for the stairs without uttering another word. Once he is gone, Deidara gains that cocky smirk he always used to wear, and he leans his body against the door. She knows it's an intimidation tactic, so she doesn't move. His warm breath brushes her face through the crack in the door, and her foot starts to ache from the amount of pressure he is putting on the door.

"You haven't gotten any stronger, hm." Anger floods her entire body, and her reasoning goes out the window. He always knew how to push her buttons.

Just as he anticipates, she rises to the bait. He slams one hand against the door frame to catch himself when she yanks the door open. She tries to catch him off guard with another punch, but he catches her wrist this time. He squeezes it as a warning. She fully expects him to yank her body into his and subdue her, but he doesn't. Instead, he towers over her by leaning against the door frame, making her realize just how much he has grown. His hand easily wraps around her much smaller wrist. His cloak hides his body, but she can feel the strength in his hand. He had always been fit, and he took great pride in his appearance. To be honest, he took pride in almost everything he did, and she has a feeling that hasn't changed. His scent washes over her, and nostalgia floods her. He smells like the clay he uses with a hint of smoke. He also wore cologne now that she couldn't quite identify.

With a wince, she realizes her eyes have traveled over much of his body, and he is clearly enjoying the attention. Before he gets a chance to tease her, she snaps, "I'm going to rip that eyeball out of your head and shove it so far up your ass you'll be seeing your stomach."

She watches that infuriating smirk grow wider. She grits her teeth tightly. It seems like every little thing she does is playing into his hands.

"A lady shouldn't talk like that, but I guess you don't even know how to act like one, hm. I'll have to be generous and let it slide, hm," he states sarcastically. Fury continues to build in the pit of her stomach, and she lashes out once more. Like she assumes, he easily catches the second blow, but he fails to notice her leg. She manages to plant a knee directly between his slightly spread legs. Satisfaction fills her, and she watches him pale for a moment in pure pain. He releases her and slouches against the door frame. His hands move to grip his wounded area shamelessly, and he glares murderously at Ishiko. She gives him a cocky smirk of her own. It doesn't matter how strong of a ninja he is, he has a common weak spot that is conveniently shared by all men.

"Bitch."

"What is going on here?" A raspy old voice snarls from a door diagonal to Ishiko's own door. "Ishiko, if you're having problems with your lover take it outside. We don't want to hear it. Besides, you of all people should know that it's forbidden to do that shit here."

Ishiko closes her eyes tightly and takes a slow deep breath. She feels like she could kill the old Whirlpool ninja for that comment. However, she knows if she were to deny seeing Deidara for a little "fun" in the middle of the night, it would only cement the idea in the old guy's head. Either way is a losing battle. He's decided Deidara is her lover and nothing she says will change his mind. It isn't worth the hassle anyway. Her eyes slowly open and she mutters an apology. She slides past Deidara and starts down the hallway without looking back. The old geezer is right in one regard. Fighting is strictly against the bar's rules. The rule is in place to keep bounty hunters from coming in to clean out the rogue ninjas for the prices on their heads, and it also kept the rogues from having a free for all slaughtering spree on the loyal ninja who chose to go there. It doesn't always work, but the guards are there to help subdue any possible issues before they arose. It wouldn't do for her to be fighting.

She doesn't need to look back to know Deidara is following her. From what she can tell, he hasn't changed much. She gave him a cheap shot, so she knew he'll be looking for revenge. Her knee to his balls still didn't heal the wounds she carried from him. Ishiko manages to push the thoughts from her mind. She was still curious about what he had to say, so she will go along with what he wanted.

For now.

She leads him out the front door and into the drizzling rain. It always seems to have some form of either humidity or precipitation in the land of water, though it isn't as bad as the Rain Village. If the rumors were to be believed. She feels her muscles tense when the water touches her skin, and she glances toward the sky. She hated the rain. It always carries bad memories.

With a sigh, she refocuses on the task at hand. She wants privacy, so she leads him to the tallest tree she can find. It's not only far from most prying eyes; it also provides a little shelter from the rain. She turns to face Deidara and crosses her arms. She can feel the roughness of the bark against her back when she leans against the tree. The clouds block out any source of light. Due to this, she is forced to rely on sound and touch instead. This causes Ishiko to become uncomfortably aware of the fact she is simply wearing an overly large shirt and underwear, since the shirt is clinging to her skin. The only blessing is it's summertime, so the rain is somewhat warm.

The tension between them is so thick it can almost be cut with a kunai. She knows it's childish, but she refuses to be the first one to break the silence. Finally, Deidara clears his throat and begins to speak.

"Ishiko, I have a proposal for you, hm." Ishiko raises an eyebrow despite knowing the man before her can't see the gesture. Once again, she is struck by how deep his voice has become. He truly has grown up. Her thoughts drift back to what she has seen of him. It isn't much due to the cloak, but his face has gotten older. Much to her displeasure, he has become a lot more attractive.

She likes the monster she made him out to be in her mind. Someone like him doesn't deserve to have a pretty face. She closes her eyes and releases a sigh. Now, she's just being petty. The silence continues to build between them, and she decides it's her turn to break it.

"I'm not marrying you. Find some other poor soul to pledge you undying love to," she says flatly. She'll never pass up the chance to throw a cheap jab at him. Oh how she wishes she could see his face right now.

"You haven't matured at all, have you?" Deidara spits back at her. His obvious anger and frustration just furthers her amusement. Just as she starts to form a reply, a gravelly voice cuts in.

"Deidara, wrap this up. We're late as it is."

Her eyes turn in that direction. It's unnerving she didn't hear him following them, nor did she suspect him of being there. Her eyes squint, but all she can make out is the silhouette of Deidara. The fine hairs stand up on the back of her neck. Just how powerful were these two? She's confident in her own abilities, but the short one snuck up on her. A sense of being vulnerable washes over her, and she didn't like it. Fear coats her mouth, but her ninja training helps to keep her fight or flight instinct in check. She isn't a child that will blindly follow orders anymore. Her nails dig into flesh and the bandage she uses to hide her scar.

She can faintly make out the sound of Deidara shifting his weight from one foot to the other. She frowns a little. Something's going on, and she doesn't like it one bit. Deidara is behaving oddly.

Pain races through her stomach. Despite everything that has happened between them, she still feels some degree of kinship to him. It digs deep when she realizes she doesn't actually know the male standing before her anymore. Maybe this is normal behavior for him? She hasn't seen him for years, so who is she to say what is or isn't normal behavior anymore? His deep voice draws her from her troubled thoughts. "Look, your information gathering skills are some of the best that I know of, hm. I've also heard rumors you're a rogue for hire. You work for some creep, and you barely get enough to eat, hm. I know you stay at that bar back there, but it just pays for the room. A place to sleep and call home, hm. Nothing more, right?"

As if he can sense her about to protest, he quickly says. "Don't try to deny it, hm. I talked to the bartender. He was pretty upfront, hm. Anyway, I talked to the leader of this organization that I'm in. He agreed to allow you to work for us, well me specifically, hm. You'll have a home and steady pay, hm. You-"

"Not interested," Ishiko says. Her thoughts race. _Only make enough to get by? Barely eating? Who has he been talking to? Who would feed information like that?_

She winces softly. The life of a rogue is a treacherous one. Allies could turn on you at the drop of a hat. Anyone could have been spying on her, and it likely wouldn't take much convincing for them to do it. Just a bit of money, and they will spill anything. She feels bile rise up the back of her throat, and her skin crawls. She considers telling him his source is wrong. She eats frugally, since she hides most of her money away in case of an emergency. After thinking about it for a moment, she decides he likely wouldn't understand. He had never been good with money.

"You don't get a choice, hm," Deidara's voice whispers. She almost doesn't catch the words since they were so quiet. Now he has the balls to threaten her? She isn't going to rise to the bait this time though.

No, she has more important things to do.

Her eyes shift around the area. She has to get her bearings. She tries to find Deidara's companion, but she still comes up empty handed. Her heart begins to pound, but she fights the fear. Fear will dull her senses, and she won't make it out of this in one piece. Adrenaline courses through her veins, and her natural flight or fight mode kicks into high gear. What is she getting into? Her attention snaps back to Deidara when she hears the sound of something getting unzipped. Her eyes narrow slightly, and she tries to figure out what exactly is going on.

After only a few seconds, her panicking mind figures out what is happening. It hits like a rock. Deidara is going to attack her. She hears the sound of something being tossed in her direction. Only seconds later, Ishiko throws her weight to the right to avoid a small explosion. It wouldn't have killed her, but it would've hurt like hell if it connected. Fury fills her, but it's quickly dulled by her mounting panic.

She needs to calm down. Fear will lead to mistakes, and mistakes are fatal for a shinobi. She has no weapons at all, nor does she have any current knowledge on her two opponents. She's at an obvious disadvantage. She curses herself mentally for being so unprepared, and she draws on her memory to remember the way back to the bar. She narrowly dodges a second bomb and bolts. She runs as hard as she can. If she can just get back, her associates will back her up. She can't do this alone. Just as she sees lights, a body blocks them out. She slides to a stop in the mud, almost tipping over backwards.

_Aw, hell I didn't even grab my shoes._

She pants a little, but she pays no mind to it. Her hands quickly form signs, and she draws in a deep breath and lifts her fingers to her mouth, pretending to do a fire based attack. The body moves to avoid the attack, and she uses this opportunity to drop to her knees. He wouldn't be able to dodge her real attack. Her hands slam into the mud, and she kneads her chakra into it in seconds. A large blunt earth spike springs forth, slamming into the body. The force of the strike sends him flying backwards. It makes an odd cracking sound that doesn't sound like bones, but she doesn't bother to give it much thought. She is so close to her goal, and she isn't about to just stop over an odd noise. She springs forth once more.

Her luck strikes again. A heavy body collides with her own from behind, clumsily knocking the two to the ground. She thrashes for a moment, but that is short lived when a sickening cracking sound rings out. She sees double for a moment before everything goes back to normal. Warmth begins to matt her hair, and dribbles down her jaw. Her body stills for a moment. Shock and adrenaline keep her brain from working properly. The pain clears the path nicely though. A hiss takes the place of the scream she wishes to use to express the pain. A rogue thought forces its way to the front of her consciousness.

The body on top of hers is cold and hard, like a piece of wood, not the soft and warm body she'd been expecting. It's making a strange clicking noise with every movement and is wrapped around her body in ways the human body has no right bending.

A sharp pinching pain in her side draws her attention. A paralyzing, agony filled type of pain courses through her so suddenly she doesn't have time to react. She can feel every vein in her body. They all pulse in time with her racing heart. A heavy feeling settles over her body, and it's all she can do to stay awake. Two feet appear before her, but she's only faintly aware of them. She hears a scream of pain, but she doesn't realize it's coming from herself. Her consciousness fades just as quickly as the onset of the pain.


	3. Chapter 3

Hopefully I got all the details right! . If not, I'm sorry! It's been a while since I saw the first part of Shippuden!

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

_Katsuo smiles up at her, while hopping excitedly from one foot to the other. He's the embodiment of innocence to her. Very similar to his older sister, he has little to no desire to become a ninja. His dream is to become a teacher. Their father doesn't agree with that dream. His greatest desire is for all three of his children to excel as shinobi. Ishiko catered to him easily, despite her reservations. When he found out his youngest son didn't want to be a ninja, he tried to punish him by ignoring his existence. Much to Daichi and Ishiko's amusement, it didn't faze the young boy. It's likely due to the fact their father's rarely home to begin with. He's always busy doing something. To Ishiko, she doesn't think her little brother even noticed a difference._

_Today is extra special though. It's her birthday, and Katsuo planned an entire day for her. Much to her surprise, she indeed had fun. They ran around the village creating as much mischief as they could. They ate cake and had an ice cream cone. The only bad thing about the day is the fact she's is now broke. Katsuo tried. He saved up for months, but he didn't quite have enough._

_Still, one look at her little brother's face made it all worth it. He lit up her day with giggles and random hugs. She can save up her allowance again. Money is just money, and it can be accumulated again. Time can't, and she has a sinking feeling she won't get these precious minutes back. After all, she's been promoted to genin, and she'll be meeting her new team in a couple of days._

_She can't place it, but she feels that isn't the only reason. Something is nagging at her consciousness, yet she can't figure out what it is._

_She glances down to ask her little brother what he wants for dinner only to find him gone. Panic takes over, and she twists and turns in an attempt to find him. Much to her horror, the bustling street she's on is suddenly empty. There isn't a single Rock Village citizen in sight. A heavy weight lands on her chest, and she feels like she can't breathe. She bolts down the main road calling out any name that comes to mind, but the only answer she gets is the echo of her own voice. It doesn't matter how long she searches, she can't find a single person._

_She's completely alone._

_She's unsure why, but she turns into an alleyway. It feels like something is propelling her along. As she walks, she feels the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Something is wrong. The scent of blood hangs heavy in the air. She doesn't want to be here. She doesn't want anything to do with this. She wants to go home. She wants to play tag with her brothers. She wants…_

_She can see a corner coming up, and she instantly knows she doesn't want to see what's around the bend. She tries her hardest to stop, but her body no longer listens to her demands. The scent of blood is so heavy in the air she feels like she is choking on it. She gags so hard it feels like she might vomit. Much too soon, she rounds the corner. Her knees grow weak, and tears fill her eyes. A headband is sitting in a pool of blood just below the word 'TRAITOR'. It's clearly written in the blood. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see a jounin flak jacket peeking out from beneath a pile of garbage. A single voice rings out._

"_Traitor!"_

The screech causes her body to jerk violently, and her eyes snap open. She can feel sweat along her forehead and down the length of her spine. Her breathes are a ragged pants, and her heart beats painfully fast. Nightmares are a common thing for her, though it's been a while since she has had such a realistic one. She's faintly aware of the wind blowing in her face, and she feels so disoriented. More so than usual.

Where is she? What is she doing? Did she leave the window open again? That's a dangerous habit for a rogue. Her mind is a foggy mess, so she can't actually focus on anything. The sun beats on her face, making her head pound. Why didn't she close the curtains last night? Her head is hurting so bad she can feel bile creeping up the back of her throat, and she has to consciously make an effort not to throw up. Her eyes close in a vain attempt to ease the pounding.

She's faintly aware of the fact she is lying on something that doesn't feel like her bed. The scent of clay fills her nose, but it still doesn't trigger any memories. Her muscles begin to ache allowing her to start thinking somewhat clearly. Still, it feels like an eternity passes before she's finally able to take in any information. She's laying on her side in the fetal position, and her muscles are cramping. She's likely been in the same position for a while and having a nightmare sure didn't help. She desperately needs to move in order to stretch them out and relieve the ache before it gets any worse. Her sweat is tickling her face anyway. It takes more effort than she'll ever admit just to attempt to move her arm.

It doesn't budge at all. Panic sets in, and she opens her eyes. She realizes all she can see is the sky, but she doesn't care about that at the moment. She yanks on her arm once more. Pain laces up to her shoulder, and it just makes her situation even worse. She starts to thrash in a vain attempt to break herself free, but it does little to help.

She pauses and pants softly. Flailing like a moron won't help her. She needs to think about the situation with a calm state of mind. After a few short breaths, she manages to calm herself enough to think rationally. She glances down to fully take in her situation. She's in the fetal position, and her arms are bound behind her back at a painful angle. Her fingertips feel numb from the loss of proper circulation, but she can feel a tingle in the palms of her hands. She can tell it's from her nails digging into her palms, so her hands must be in a fist. They refuse to move when she attempts to flex her fingers, so she assumes her captors must have bandaged them shut to prevent her from forming seals or using a weapon. The ropes are so tight, they bite into her skin. She can practically feel the bruises forming and grits her teeth. The rope around her wrists reaches midway up her forearms. There's another just above her elbows, only it wraps around her entire body, effectively keeping her arms at her sides.

That explains why her arms won't budge at all. How did she not notice something like that right off the bat? She closes her eyes tightly. The fogginess in her mind stubbornly refuses to leave. It makes forming coherent thoughts incredibly difficult. She tries to continue to take stock of the situation. Her legs are bound up in a similar fashion. The rope starts at her ankles, and it goes midway up her calves. The next section starts just above her knees and continues halfway up her thighs. The chances of her getting free seem slim to none. She grits her teeth to the point of pain and tries to call on her chakra. Unfortunately, she finds it hard to build any. She's oddly exhausted and clearly something wrong. Her eyes open once more. The wind in her face is quickly becoming annoying. She lifts her head to glance around her surroundings.

Her heart stops at what she sees. The blue sky surrounds her. She's not just outside, but it appears that she is in the air. Beneath her bound body, she finds a soft, white substance. She can't see much other than that. What the hell happened while she was sleeping?!

"Finally awake, hm?" It all comes crashing back to her then. Her grogginess is a product of her attempt to flee her childhood friend. A couple memories flash through her mind. The odd body that crashed into her when she tried to flee. The fogginess and inability to draw on her chakra had to have something to do with that. She jerks hard trying to roll from her side onto her back, but her hands prevent it from happening. She is given a shock of pain clear to her shoulder for her trouble. Much to her frustration, Deidara's smirking face appears over her shoulder. "You shouldn't wiggle so much, hm. You might fall."

She stubbornly glares at him, but she doesn't say a word. She doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of receiving an answer. What she really wants to do is smack that arrogant smirk off his face.

Much to her displeasure, he reaches down and proceeds to pull her up into a sitting position. She groans when it makes her muscles ache. He settles beside her looking like a kid in a candy store. She gives him a dark glare and attempts to scoot away. It turns into an odd wiggle, and she doesn't get anywhere. Her mood darkens when Deidara snickers at her. Now that she isn't lying on a majority of it, her hair begins to whip around her face, as if in response to her current mood. She finally gets a good glance around herself.

She wishes she hadn't.

Like before, all she sees is blue sky. It's likely around noon, if she's reading the position of the sun correctly. She can see clouds all around, and the ground zipped past at a sickeningly quick pace. She tenses every muscle in her body, and she can practically feel the blood drain from her face. Terror fills her entire being. It's not normal to be moving so fast, nor is it normal to be so high in the air! A fall like this would kill her, especially with her limbs bound! She risks a glance around to discover she is sitting on what appears to be a giant bird that resembles an owl.

"Pretty cool, hm? It's art!" Deidara excitedly throws his hands into the air. It's clear to her he wants some form of recognition from her, but she can't get her mouth to move at all. All she can do is stare.

"Hmph." The sound draws her gaze. The strange short man sits not far from her. His eyes glare coldly at Deidara. That's about all she can see of him though. The rest of his face is covered by what appears to be a bit of cloth, though she can see it whipping in the wind. She never manages to look long enough to see beneath it though. His gravelly voice growls. "This is not art."

Deidara snorts angrily and rounds on his partner. She tunes the rest out. Instead, she focuses her attention inwardly. She has to at least get her limbs free in case this horrible thing crashed! It feels like something is blocking her chakra, and her limbs feel lethargic. She's not sure how much is due to how she is tied up. Her gaze lifts once more to her childhood friend. She can see his face better now that his hat is gone, but it does little to please her.

"Art is something that is here then gone in a flash, hm!" Deidara snaps angrily, but he shifts a little. Ishiko's body tenses even more when she realizes they are heading for the ground in large lazy circles.

"Art is eternal, you annoying, little brat. How would you even know? You don't take the time to appreciate anything with those silly little explosions" The short man growls back. Deidara releases a frustrated sound, but he appears to let it go. The bird flaps one final time before she feels a bone rattling jolt. She almost tips over, but she feels Deidara's arm wrap around her waist. He steadies her with yet another cocky smirk.

"Careful!" He's clearly mocking her, but her heart is still in her throat after that experience. Her eyes narrow angrily at him. His large hand wraps around the rope near her upper arm, and she is hauled to her feet beside him. She doesn't bother protesting since it won't help. She sways and would have fallen if he wasn't keeping a tight grip on the rope. With his assistance, she finds herself on solid ground once more. She finds she can almost fall to her knees and kiss it.

She won't though….. She's currently already in an embarrassing situation. There is no need to add to it by acting like a paranoid fool. With a puff of smoke, the owl disappears. Deidara settles her against a nearby tree. Once she's released, her gaze flicks around the area in an attempt to find the easiest and nearest escape route. They're in a meadow of some kind. By the size of the trees, she assumes they're in the land of fire, but she can't tell exactly where. Not knowing her location fills her with uneasy. The land of water has some large trees, too. She might still be there. Deidara's deep chuckle draws her attention once more.

"Don't even think about it, hm. You won't escape." He smiles playfully at her. "Master Sasori got you with some poison, hm."

The look on her face must have spoken volumes. He reaches out to poke her nose lightly. "He says it won't kill you, but you must be feeling the effects. You'll recover in a few days, but for now, you won't be able to form your chakra correctly, hm."

The flicker of some unknown emotion passes through his eye. Unfortunately, it's gone too fast for her to really be able to identify it. His smile never once leaves his face. She grits her teeth, and the silence settles between them. Finally, she asks. "What is the meaning of this?"

He continues to smirk at her. Oh how she wishes she could reach out and just slap it off his dumb face. He rocks back on his heels, and a thoughtful look spreads over his face. His gaze lifts toward the sky. "I told you already, hm. I need your skills."

His blue eye drops to meet hers. He flashes her a smile. A real one. "And you don't really get a choice, hm. You're going to help me…. One way or the other, hm."

An uncomfortable silence falls between them. Her eyes lock onto the headband he is wearing, and her stomach drops. It's not a common practice, but some rogues do mark them. Some just completely discard them. Her attention is drawn back by the movement of his body. She blinks only to find him squatting beside her with an expectant look. She hates to admit it, but he's right. Her body isn't at a hundred percent. She closes her eyes and softly asks. "And if I say I refuse?"

"I'll kill you, hm." Her eyes open instantly. In complete and utter shock, she stares at him. In fact, she's positive her mouth is hanging open. He said it so casually, as if he is just talking about the weather and not her life. The smirk isn't there anymore, so a chill goes down her spine. His face dons a serious look now, and his voice is a little lower than before. "Ishiko, listen to me, hm. This is serious…. You do _**not**_ get a choice, hm. You _**will**_ do as you are told, or I will have to kill you, hm."

She searches his face for any sign he is lying. With a heart sinking feeling, she realizes there isn't any. He is dead serious. Her gaze flicks around the area again. She needs to escape, fight, or do something… anything other than just sit there. She sucks in a sharp breath when rough fingers lightly grip her chin. Her head is turned to face Deidara again only he is much closer than last time. In fact, she can feel his breath on her face. She tries her best to give him a defiant look, but she's not sure if she succeeds. His voice is barely above a whisper. "Even if you can escape from us, we'll hunt you down and kill you, hm. Just do as I say. You'll be safe and able to live then, hm."

She can only stare at him in defiant silence. The threat is very real, and she has no doubts he'll make good on it. She wasn't able to outrun the two of them on familiar ground, and she has no idea where she currently is. That isn't the only issue she is facing right now. Not only is she tied up, she's only wearing a shirt, and she can't grasp her chakra properly. It feels like she's trying to hold water in her hands. The sound of a branch breaking draws her attention away from her childhood friend.

Matters just got even worse, if that's humanly possible. Two more wearing the same outfit as Deidara appears from the bushes. Deidara straightens up and turns to greet them. "It's about time the two of you made it, hm."

"Yeah, yeah. We aren't late," an amused voice states. "'Sides, we literally just saw you flying above us a couple minutes ago. Don't pretend like you've been waiting here for hours."

Deidara scoffs a little, but he doesn't get a chance to argue before Sasori cuts in. "Itachi, I trust you were informed?"

Ishiko glances from person to person as they speak, trying to put names to faces. The more information she can get, the better off she will be later. She takes a few seconds to size them up. The one Sasori addressed nods, so she assumes he's Itachi. Dull black hair frames what she can see of his face from the angle she's at. The headband on his head shows a leaf symbol, cut much like Deidara's. His eyes are a crimson color with a black pattern she feels she's seen, or heard about, somewhere. Deep lines run from the corners of his eyes and disappear into the neckband of his outfit.

Her heart stops when it hits her.

Sharigan. His eyes are the sharigan. She may have hailed from a different village, but that particularly kekkei genkai is widely known. Goosebumps form over her skin. _**Everyone**_ has heard about that particular clan's demise. Bile rises in her throat when she realizes he is someone who killed his entire family, and he is standing only feet from her.

"Yes," Itachi's deep, but soft, voice says. Chills run down ishiko's spine, and she glances at Deidara. The threat was real before, but it now carries the weight of reality. What has Deidara gotten himself into? What has he dragged her into?!

"We were on our way to the hideout to hand over the requirement for the mission when Leader contacted us. It kinda surprising he wants us to pick up something along the way." Ishiko's teal gaze shifts to the man towering over her. Her heart sinks. He'll tower over her even if she were standing. Much like Itachi, all she can see is part of his face and his hair. His skin is strange bluish color, and it appears there are slits beneath his beady eyes. A darker shade of blue hair spikes from the top of his head. The symbol of the Mist Village with a large gash rests on his forehead. It appears to cover his ears. Across his chest, there is a large tan belt. A quick glance on either side of him reveals it likely holds a sword. She can see a round, bandaged part of it near his feet, while a scaled hilt peeks over his shoulder. He leans down allowing her to see more of his face, complete with a vicious grin and pointed teeth. "Is this our little package?"

He chuckles in a very sadistic manner. "By the looks of it, she's not very willing to come with us. After all, you have her tied up. Who would've thought you of all people would do this to someone else, Deidara."

"Tch!" Deidara snarls from somewhere behind the tall Mist ninja. "I don't want to hear from you, asshole!"

Ishiko presses herself back against the tree in an effort to put as much space between her and the blue man. She feels incredibly uncomfortable with his eyes roaming over her body. Deidara appears beside him. "I'm not you!"

"Kisame." That single word rings out over the clearing, though the sharigan user didn't yell. He didn't have to. Kisame chuckles softly, but he thankfully stops looming over her. She releases a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. Her gaze flicks up to Deidara, but he isn't paying attention to her.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll take her with us. You guys are in the middle of a mission, aren't you? Do you truly have time to dawdle here with us?" Kisame playfully asks. Deidara snarls at him. It almost feels like an inside joke she doesn't understand.

"No," Sasori growls. "We leave her to you."

He turns and starts his lurching walk away. Deidara hesitates for a moment before he turns to Ishiko. He kneels in front of her and rolls out a scroll. Under his breath, he mutters. "Behave, hm. I'll be back before you know it, hm. Just listen to what they say, hm."

Her eyes narrow at him, but she doesn't say a word. A black bag appears on top of the scroll, and he pushes it toward her. He gives her one last serious look. "Don't try to run, hm. I won't be here to protect you, hm."

That's rich coming from him! He's the reason she's in this mess! She bites back the angry words. It's four against one now. Her eyes drift toward Itachi. She doesn't stand a chance against a sharigan user, not alone. She closes her eyes and nods once. When she opens them, Kisame is squatting in front of her. There's no trace of Deidara or Sasori at all. Kisame's large hands are digging through the black bag in front of her. "Just cloths, huh? How boring. He made sure to even take her weapons."

He didn't sound sad at all. At the mention of clothes, she feels herself perk up. Hope fills her, but she tries to keep it off her face. Movement draws her attention, and she glances in that direction. Her gaze almost meets Itachi's, but she catches herself and looks at his feet. The last thing she needs is to fall into a genjutsu or some other trickery the sharigan can do. She has heard rumors, but it doesn't mean she fully understands everything about it.

One thing she does understand is the fact it's dangerous. This whole situation is dangerous, so she has to tread carefully.

"Untie her and give her the bag," Itachi's voice cuts through the silence. She tenses up, and Kisame releases a sigh.

"Killjoy," he mutters, but he sets the bag aside. In minutes, she is free. Blood rushes back into her hands. The pain from the nerves reawakening has her gritting her teeth. Her feet are the same way, and her muscles seem to protest no matter what she does. Still, it feels good to be somewhat free. She takes a moment to painfully rub the sorest spots, while her eyes discreetly flick from one rogue to the next. "There is a bush right behind you that should do nicely for changing your clothes. We promise not to peep on you."

Pink floods her face. She had forgotten about her current clothing situation, and the suggestive way he says it just makes it worse. She reaches out to snatch the bag, only to have it slip through her fingers. Embarrassment, frustration, and pain fight a fierce battle in her stomach. She tries again, but her fingers feel clumsy and don't respond like they should. Deidara's words come back to her. She still has poison in her system. It's likely why she is suddenly so clumsy.

Kisames mocking laughter does nothing to help her self-esteem either. After a few deep breaths, she tries again. She manages to grasp it on the second attempt. Standing is another ordeal. Much to her relief, both men seem relatively patient. Itachi no longer watches her. He had moved into a tree nearby at some point. His leg dangles from the branch, and he is resting his back against the trunk. His red gaze is fixed on the sky. He looks ironically peaceful. Kisame seems to be getting a kick out of her struggles, and it honestly makes her want to sock him in the nose.

All in all, changing her clothes turns into almost an hour long ordeal. Thankfully, Deidara had been mindful enough to pack her a couple sets of clothes. Her hairbrush, toothbrush and paste, along with a few other bathroom items, are in the bag. A small scroll is sitting on the bottom beside her headband. Much to her surprise, it's a storage scroll, but she can't summon anything from it with her chakra just out of reach. Her clothes are simple. Black bottoms that reach just above her knee and fit her form. Her top is teal. The solid material is set like a tank top, while the rest of the sleeve is mesh and reaches to just above her elbow.

She considers running. She truly does, but she decides it isn't wise. She's still clumsy, and the amount of noise she is making is loud enough even a genin could track her. In the end, she finds herself trailing along behind the two rogue ninja. Walking seems to get easier the more she stretches her cramped muscles. A comfortable silence settles between the three of them. It seems like the two men have adjusted their speed to match hers, but she still has to push herself.

* * *

The day passes almost peacefully. She can smell pine trees, but she has yet to actually see one. She doesn't mind though; the smell is enough to calm her. Her body has returned to normal, but her chakra continues to elude her. The walk almost feels pleasant despite that. She can hear wild animals, and she has seen a couple on occasion. They've taken a couple of water breaks, and she's been allowed to disappear into the bushes to heed the call of nature. It almost feels like she isn't a prisoner.

Almost. She can't shake the fact Kisame stays within arms reach of her. His gaze occasionally shifts in her direction. Once satisfied she's still there, he returns to watching the path in front of himself. Itachi never once looks her way. Kisame finally breaks the silence. "So how do you know Deidara?"

_Small talk? Really?_ She glances up at the large shinobi. She considers not answering him, but it might help to pass the time a little faster. She's getting bored of the silence anyway. She clears her throat a little to keep her voice from breaking. "Childhood friends."

Kisame releases a whistle and chuckles. "You knew that little dickhead when he was younger? Tell me, has he always been such a pain in the ass?"

Despite herself, she can't help but smile. She glances up at Kisame. Maybe, just maybe, she can be friends with him. Only time will tell. "Yes, and incredibly difficult."

He releases a laugh and nudges her hard. She stumbles but manages to remain upright. "You gotta tell me something about him. Come on, give me some dirt!"

His smile is almost infectious. She feels herself loosening up a little. "Well… he's burnt himself numerous times playing with his explosives."

Her face lights up when a particular memory comes to mind. Excitedly, she says. "Ah! He lit his hair on fire one time!"

Time does indeed pass faster once her and Kisame start speaking. Itachi doesn't say a single word to either of them, and he only glances back a couple of times. She learns next to nothing about Kisame other than his name, and he is one of the former swordsmen of the hidden mist. Still, it feels good to actually have a conversation with someone.

It's been a while. She only talks business with her clients and spends most of her time alone during her missions. The rest of the time, she's either monitoring the bar from one of the corners or tossing ruffians out. How long has it been since she had an actual conversation with someone?

Too long if talking to a dangerous rogue about random crap is fun for her.

* * *

A loud snore tears the night air. The noise disrupts the crickets' song for a moment and causes a small form to jolt up into a sitting position. Tired, teal eyes glare at the offender. She can see the large mound of a man just across the fire pit. A chill runs down her spine when the wind chooses that moment to pick up. Couldn't Deidara have chosen a better blanket?

Her furious gaze turns to the dead fire beside her makeshift bed. They don't actually need it, since it isn't freezing, but it's nice to see her captors a little clearer. With a huff, she flops back down onto her back and rolls onto her side. She pulls her knees to her chest. She doesn't like the fact that her feet stick out the bottom of the blanket; she doesn't like the darkness around her.

To be honest, there isn't much she likes anymore. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, she decides she needs to use the bathroom. She sits up and glances around the camp. Something feels... off about the situation, but she can't place it. Her eyes roam over the small area for a moment. They're camping beneath two large trees. As her eyes roam, she realizes what is causing the strange feeling. The Uchiha is missing. She carefully survey's her surroundings to ensure he isn't hiding somewhere, but she sees no sign of him. Next, she closes her eyes and attempts to see if she can sense him anywhere nearby. She isn't a sensory ninja, but she has learned the basics. It helps her survival chances go up when she's able to sense people attempting to sneak up on her.

Once again, she draws up a blank. Her teal eyes open, and she sits still for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the gloom. Once they get as good as they'll be, she turns her attention back to Kisame. Her mind races with ideas on how she can escape the two rogues, but none of them will work without a weapon. She carefully climbs to her feet, now thankful the fire's gone. Even if Kisame does wake up, it'll be hard for him to see her.

She pauses when an uncomfortable thought occurs to her. Mist ninja use the hidden mist jutsu, so they're used to not seeing their opponents clearly. She swallows hard. She'll just have to be careful. Not only does she have to be silent, but she has to be alert and ready to react at the drop of a hat. If he were to wake and see a dark mass hovering over him, he might lash out out of pure instinct.

She sucks in a nearly silent breath when she kneels at the large shinobi's side. Her eyes glance over his body, still covered by the red and black jacket. His arm is curled under his head, while the other just hangs limply at his side. She can't see any identifying marks signally a kunai pouch through the jacket, and she doesn't relish the thought of lightly groping the man. With a flinch, she realizes he's lying on his right side. At dinner last night, he ate with his right hand. If her assumption is correct, that means he's right handed. With a sinking feeling, she realizes that means his kunai pouch is beneath his leg, and effectively out of reach. She rocks back on her heels and observes the man silently. Her chances of survival aren't exactly damaged if she doesn't have a weapon. She has taijutsu to fall back on, even if it isn't her strong suit.

She lightly chews on her lip while she watches Kisame snore. Her eyes drift to the bandaged sword lying beside him, but she immediately dismisses the idea. Something that large is likely heavy and will ultimately slow her down.

No, she'll have to make due with what she has. She slowly stands. Her gaze drifts over to her blanket, and the bag she had been using as a pillow. Despite her every desire to gather the stuff up, she decides against it. It'll only weigh her down, and she needs all the speed she can get. Still, a deep ache appears in her chest when she turns her back on it. She ignored her headband earlier. She wants to turn back and get it at the very least.

_Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. _She repeats those words over and over, while she carefully leaves their makeshift camp. It'll be better for her if she leaves the stuff behind. It might make it appear like she stepped away to relieve herself. Every second counts in a shinobi's life.

She fights the tears. _Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. _She carefully parts the underbrush. Every step is a calculated gamble. One wrong move, and it's game over. It won't take much to wake Kisame; just her stepping on a dry, dead branch. He'll be on her in seconds. She release a slow quiet breath before sucking in the next one. She can almost see her sweet freedom. Her steps slow to a stop, and Deidara's warning rings in her head. Can she really hope to escape? Can she really hope for anything? If she does manage to, will she live her life on the run from everyone? Flee at the sight of any ninja, like a coward?

That doesn't settle well in her stomach. Deidara is obviously part of something larger, and the friends he now keeps are incredibly dangerous. Ishiko glances over her shoulder in the direction she just came from. She knows she won't be able to outrun them forever. Information is key to just about everything in life. If one knows another's weakness, it makes fighting them easier. Capitalizing on weakness can end a fight much quicker than just straight brawn.

She closes her eyes. She spent most her life dealing with information; passing it along or selling it. It's easy for her to disguise or hide herself and gather information on a bounty she can then sell to bounty hunters. She knows just how dangerous knowledge can be. She may have changed over the years, but the fundamentals of her personality remain the same. She doesn't enjoy fighting and avoids it as much as possible. That's her greatest weakness, and Deidara knows it. She doesn't train her body like she should. She does just enough to get by. She'll distance herself and capture her opponent in a genjutsu. They are sitting ducks after that.

Silently hating herself, she turns and makes her way back to camp. She doesn't bother staying quiet now. Her body feels heavy with bitter disappointment, and she drags her feet through the underbrush. When she steps out of the underbrush, she finds the fire roaring once more. The scent of fish twists her stomach. Kisame is sitting up, and Itachi seems to have returned, or maybe he never left. The thought leaves a better taste in her mouth. Upon hearing her pause, Kisame glances back with a grin. He waves a stick in her direction, on the end is a raw fish.

"Breakfast?" Kisame asks in a bright tone. The area is considerably lighter than it was earlier, and she finds it easier to see the playful grin on Kisame's face. Ishiko's heart drops to the pit of her stomach. They _**knew**_ what she'd planned to do, and they let her do it. Was it all a test? A test of loyalty? She sees movement from the corner of her eye, and she turns her attention to Itachi. He had taken a moment to look up at her before his gaze turns back to the fire. It takes all of Ishiko's self control not to just scream in frustration.

They let her think she snuck away. She almost walked into a trap. She clenches her fists and slowly moves over to drop onto her blanket roughly. Kisame releases another chuckle and rests the fish on the fire with others just like it. "How was your morning stroll?"

She closes her eyes tightly. She can't help but wonder if he's silently warning her he knew what she was up to. After a moment of careful consideration, she says softly. "I had to pee. I would hardly call that a morning stroll."

His chuckle is her only response. She's effectively trapped. Even if she managed to escape, where will she go? Deidara can track her; he knew her and her habits. Even if he can't, it'll only be a matter of time before she slips up. She's only human, and even the best shinobi makes a mistake or two from time to time. Her life will end in one of two ways; she will be killed by her village or killed by her friend.

She's leaning toward Deidara being the one who would have killed her. Who knew how far Deidara's reach extended now. He managed to find her hiding hole once, even if she doesn't show up there often. It'd only be a matter of time before he found her again. She pulls her knees up to her chest and hugs them tightly. Once again, Deidara has ruined her life. He drug her along like a fierce tide and destroyed everything she has in her life.

"Hungry?" Kisame's voice grates on her already frayed nerves. She enjoys his company, more than she'll ever openly admit, but it still frustrates her he's talking to her. She just wants a moment to wallow in self-pity. She jumps when something sharp pokes her hand. It isn't enough to break the skin, but it does sting. She lifts her gaze to find a stick prodding at her. She traces it through the fire till she finds who is doing it. Her dark look does nothing to wipe the smirk off his face.

"Are you a child?" Ishiko somehow manages to sound calm. There's no hint to the mess of actual emotions she is feeling. His smirk grows, showing almost all of his sharp teeth.

"Perhaps, but it's rude not to answer someone when they ask you a…" he pauses so he can poke her hand a couple more times. "...question."

She swats at the offending stick. _**These**_ are dangerous rogue ninja? This man is a member of the fearsome swordsmen? Is the universe playing a joke on her? Her hand never connects with it. Instead, it moves up to poke her cheek, barely missing her mouth. It's all she can do not to leap up and scream at him. It won't help; it might actually have the opposite effect. She glowers angrily at him.

"Kisame," Itachi blankly says. Much to her surprise, the blue man chuckles. He pokes her cheek one more time before he drops the stick in the fire. Her teal eyes watch his every move for a few seconds before she turns her attention to the Uchiha. He's staring blankly into the fire. To be honest, she feels she can get more feeling from a rock than she can from the shinobi to her right. He barely, if ever, spoke. If he does, it usually has something to do with Kisame harassing her. Even then, he usually only spoke the Mist shinobi's name.

She can't be too harsh though. He has stopped Kisame from pushing the limits of her patience on more than one occasion. She turns back to the fire and hugs her knees to her chest. Her chin settles on one of them, and she allows herself to slip into a daydream. It more or less consists of sleeping in her own bed. She's used to being outside and sleeping on the cold, hard ground, but the sounds of others sleeping nearby disrupted her sleep. She hasn't slept around other shinobi for years. She closes her eyes, and her stomach growls while the fish cooks. Food isn't something most shinobi give much thought to. There are plenty of times when they can't light a fire, so they often lived on non-perishables or food pills. A hot meal is almost a luxury on the field.

Even if it's only fish, she can't help the thrill of excitement forming in the pit of her stomach. She's looking forward to the hot meal. It helps to ease the disappointment she is feeling.

* * *

The two men don't seem to be in any rush. Their pace remains steady. It only increases once Ishiko is able to move her body better. A week of travelling later, and they finally slow to a stop at the edge of a cliff. There's a river below, along with a rock that clearly isn't part of the natural landscape. A large red and gold gate towers over the rock along with a paper seal on it. Itachi wastes no time in leaping down from the cliff's edge. Kisame follows him seconds later, but Ishiko hesitates for a moment. Her gaze lifts to look around the area. They haven't passed any villages, but she's fairly certain they traveled through the land of fire. It has a warmer climate than the land of water, and they haven't reached the edge of an island either. Whether they're still there, she can't tell.

The sound of scraping echos from below. She turns her gaze downward. The rock is moving downward, sinking into the water below. Ishiko releases a soft grunt and gathers her chakra. If she dallied any longer, Kisame might come looking for her. She flinches softly. She'd rather not have a repeat of what happened when she decided to sneak off for a bath. She pushes the embarrassing memory from her mind and leaps. Her body becomes pleasantly light as she falls. Leaping through the trees or over buildings has always been her favorite part of being a shinobi. It carries a weightless, adrenaline filled rush that is indescribable. Her feet land on the surface of the river with a splash. She grins happily when it sprays around her.

A small smile spreads over her face, and she straightens up. Kisame is grinning at her, while Itachi watches with his usual blank look. He's the first to turn and enter the new gaping hole in the side of the cliff. Kisame makes a 'come on' gesture, and he turns to follow his partner. Despite travelling with the two, she knows very little about them or the group they are a part of. A chill races down her spine, and her feet sudden feel heavy. She barely manages to trudge her way after them. Once she makes it inside, the rock scrapes and returns to its original position. It seems they are expected though, since torches are lit all around the large circular room. The flames leave odd dancing shapes running along the floor and walls. The ceiling isn't even visible. Over all, the torches just adds a creepy factor to an already creepy situation.

The gloom makes it hard to see, but her eyes are adjusting. Kisame and Itachi are standing before a shimmering figure in the shape of a man. She can see the figure has the same outfit as her traveling companions. Unfortunately, the figure is grey with a flickering rainbow running over his body. It makes her uneasy, so she hovers just past the water. She watches the three of them have a quiet conversation for a moment before grey ringed eyes turn in her direction.

She shudders a little. There's power in those eyes. His voice is full of confidence and very commanding. "Approach."

The word echoes off the walls. Ishiko pulls herself up straight, trying to appear confident. With a deep breath, she moves toward the group. Kisame is openly watching her approach, while Itachi seems to be doing the same thing from the corner of his eye. That wears on her confidence, but she tries to not let it show. Once she reaches the three of them, the shimmering man speaks once more. "The two of you are dismissed. Rest well. I'll be in touch with your next mission."

It feels like electricity runs down her spine. The two powerful shinobi nod before disappearing into the gloom. Ishiko wants to watch them, but she doesn't dare take her eyes off the man in front of her; especially not with how he is watching her. His gaze is so sharp and intense she feels like he is peering into her very soul. She swallows hard, this simple action seems to set the ball in motion.

"Do you know why you are here?" The voice is deep and oddly soothing. She slowly shakes her head. She doesn't trust her voice at the moment. She's positive she'll squeak like a genin getting their first mission directly from their kage. He closes his eyes. "I see…."

Silence settles over them for a few minutes, and she doesn't dare break it. She simply watches the strangely transparent man before her. Finally, his eyes open. "Deidara personally requests your presence. He's stated you will be useful to our cause in the future."

Fury runs through her for a brief moment, but she keeps it in check. Deidara has a knack for destroying everything around him. The man continues talking, drawing her attention back to the important matter at hand. "He has listed your skills to me. You are good with genjutsu and information gathering. Is there anything else?"

Hearing her abilities briefed in only a sentence, Ishiko feels practically useless. She glances away for a moment and closes her eyes. She isn't the most powerful shinobi alive, and she honestly would rather do anything else. It still wounded her pride to be summed up by a stranger.

"Why do you believe he wishes for you to join us?"

The question catches her off guard. She opens her eyes and turns her attention back to the man before her. He's being oddly patient with her. Most would've been frustrated by her silence, yet he seems completely calm. She clears her throat after a moment of careful thought. She prays her voice holds up. "I….. am not sure. I'm not…. Particularly powerful…"

Her voice sounds lame to her own ears, and her answer is cringe worthy. The man before her shows zero emotion, though she's not really sure what he is or is not showing on his face since it's hidden due to his shimmering appearance. She can't even see his nose. His eyes seem cold though, so he must not approve of her answer. "He believes you will be of use to us. I've had you observed for a while. You're the one supplying one of my members information on certain bounties that catch his eye."

The information floors her. He gives it away so freely, then her mind races while she process what has been told to her. She'd know if she had a client that wore the recognizable black outfit with red clouds. She frowns a little, but she doesn't get a chance to say anything else. "I have need of shinobi with many talents. You are readily available to join the teams on various missions and feed them vital information with their current missions. I have many ears throughout the world, but even I do not hear everything. A floater with a knack for gathering information will be useful to my cause."

The room echoes with the sound of his voice. She can only stare at him silently for what feels like an eternity. He closes his eyes again. His voice sends chills down her spine. "You will not be a member, but you will be given special privileges. You'll have a room here, and you'll work with each of the teams if needed. Prove your worth, and I may allow you to gather more information on our goal. For now, you'll be a subordinate of Deidara's. Take heed of this warning… betray us…. And you'll suffer before your end."

He doesn't wait for a response. He just flickers away like he was never there. Ishiko can only gap at the emptiness before her. He spoke so casually about what her life will be like. The way he spoke left no room to argue, beg, or compromise. Her body feels heavy all over again, and her knees buckle. Pain races up her back when her knees collide the cold, hard stone below, but she barely feels it. Her body pitches forward, and she presses her hands against it. The stone is smooth from the amount of traffic that has gone over it, but it's freezing against her bare hands and feels slightly damp.

Her life just took another turn for the worst. It'll be cold, harsh, and unforgiving like the rock beneath her. Cold like the Uchiha. Harsh like Kisame. Her eyes close tightly and she fights the wave of emotion threatening to flood her. Where is she? Who are these people?

Why does she have to be such a coward? Why can't she fight back? Why didn't she run when she had the chance?! She grits her teeth tightly before glancing up when feet appear before her. Kisame grins down at her playfully. "Come on, cupcake. Let's grab some real food."

He chuckles and turns away, oblivious to her obvious internal struggle. He calls out some random nickname one more before he disappears into the shadows. Maybe she'll work up the courage to figure a way out of this. No, she _**will**_ figure a way out. She just needs a little time.

She needs a little time and confidence in herself. With a sigh, she heads in the direction the Mist shinobi had disappeared. She finds a door by walking into it. Once she's through, she follows the hallway to a corner that leads into a brightly lit room. The sound of food being cooked reaches her ears before the smell does. She silently observes the area. Itachi is making the food, while Kisame sets the table. It struck her as an odd scene, but she finds no words to describe why it does. She moves to settle in one of the chairs.

She isn't particularly hungry, but you can't plan on an empty stomach. She leans forward against the table and rests her arms on it after carefully moving the dishes. She presses her face into them and watches Itachi cook from a small slit she left open. Every move he does is calculated, almost to the point of being graceful. Kisame is the same way, despite his size. In an effort to ease her troubled mind, she attempts to imagine Itachi in a frilly, pink apron. Thankfully, it works, and she barely represses a chuckle.

That's right. Nothing is hopeless as long as she's breathing. She's survived for this long. This is just a new adventure. One she didn't intend to take, but who gets to choose the paths in their life every single time? She just needs to roll with the punches and get back up.

She'll make it through this. She's a survivor, and she's going to punch Deidara when she sees him again. That thought helps to relax her, or at least ease a good chunk of tension.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey it's been a while! I'm going to apologize in advance! I'm probably gonna be a slow updater! . I've been rereading and revamping this story and deciding the exact direction I want to go with it! I appreciate the favorites I've gotten on this story!

Guest: Thank you so much for your review! I'm sorry it's taken this long!

Please enjoy this chapter! Sorry if there is any grammar/spelling mistakes!

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The food tastes surprisingly good, yet she finds herself wishing she hadn't eaten any of it. Kisame vanishes not long after he finishes his food, leaving Ishiko to begrudgingly help with clean up. She has no idea where to go, and it doesn't feel right to just leave a mess behind. She spends most of the time avoiding glancing at Itachi while she brings dishes to the sink for him to wash. Overall, the experience is incredibly awkward.

As she works alongside the silent Uchiha, she notices something interesting. It's a small habit of his, but in the world of shinobi, small habits are incredibly important. The Uchiha seems to be somewhat of a perfectionist, at least when it comes to cleaning. This causes her mind to wonder, and she wonders if he is a perfectionist in other aspects of his life. Is he one of those people who require things to go a certain way, or it throws his day off? Her mind reels with interesting possibilities that may prove to be useful. As far as she's aware, disrupting a perfectionist's routine will likely throw them off balance. If his case is bad enough, she may be able to use it to her advantage when it's time to escape.

If she can get herself to be left alone with him.

After imaging some heart-racing, daring escape plans, she pauses in wiping down the table. Another thought has just occurred to her. Will running really be a good thing? She's been warned twice not to attempt to escape; once by Deidara and again by the rainbow man. She swallows, and she lifts her gaze to watch Itachi's back. A deflated sense of disappointment threatens to crush her heart. He's still working on the dishes, while she wiped the table, but it appears he's close to finishing his job. Once the table's wiped down, she'll be finished with her part as well. She has given Itachi all the dishes, placed the left overs in sealable containers under his quiet direction, and swept up the floor. Neither have tried to have a conversation with the other, so it had dissolved into an uncomfortable silence.

With a shake of her head, she gets her body moving again. Her gaze drops back to the table she is working on. The sooner this is over the better. Perhaps it would've been better to escape like Kisame had.

"So….." she starts, but she trails off lamely. What can she say in this situation? She straightens up and carefully makes her way to his side in order to place the rag she was using beside the sink. She risks a glance at the Uchiha from the corner of her eye. Should she offer to help him by drying the dishes? She swallows softly and glances along the counter looking for something to dry them with. Her mind whirls frantically. Should she ask the nearly mute Uchiha any questions about her situation? Would he even answer her? Or….. A better question would be: can she even trust him? Maybe she should just leave?

That option is looking better and better. She closes her eyes and releases a slow, steadying breath. Running like a coward won't help her perdictiment, but it'll ease the tension she's currently feeling for a moment. Still, she's stuck for the foreseeable future, and she's painfully aware she should attempt to get a little bit of information out of her new "comrades". After all, the more she knows, the better her chances at survival are. She slowly opens her eyes and watches the dishes air dry, still trying to pick out the best question for the situation. The silence drags on for a couple more minutes before she steels her nerves and decides on a question. There is only one way to find out if he'll answer or not. She'll start out with an easy question. "What do you call yourselves?"

Not surprisingly silence is the answer she receives. She waits a few seconds, while the air gets oddly repressive. She risks a glance at the silent man beside her. He doesn't appear like he's going to respond at all. He just seems to focus on the task he is currently doing. The longer the silence wears on, the more she can feel her nerves starting to fray. This man is incredibly dangerous. Did she possibly upset him with her question? She carefully takes a step back, ready to bolt at any sign of trouble. The quiet ones are always the most unpredictable people. After a couple more steps, she turns just enough to glance around the room while keeping the silent man in her peripheral vision. Perhaps she should out of the room and see if she can find Kisame? He's much more talkative than his partner, making him a little easier to read in her opinion. In fact, compared to the silent Itachi, she almost considers the sadist to be bubbly. She frowns at the very idea. As much as she doesn't mind having someone to talk to, she isn't sure she can actually handle much more of the talkative blue man. It was great at first, but she quickly got overwhelmed with him. She isn't used to having so much human interaction… Or maybe the Mist shinobi is just a little much at times. He does have a knack for leaving her speechless with some of his comments or actions.

"Just a moment, and I'll show you where you're going to sleep." The soft, deep voice makes her jump. Her gaze turns to look at the Uchiha once more. Goosebumps rise over her skin. Could he read thoughts? She shoves the ridiculous notion away. He isn't a god or a mind reader, just a very talented ninja. Any jounin would be able to gather her thoughts of simply running away. Her hovering is enough of an indication. She doesn't need to jump at every little thing.

"Um, thank you," she manages to get out. She watches him dry his hands and turn almost robotically. He brushes past her and disappears out the door, leaving her to scramble after him. That's how she finds herself following the Leaf shinobi down the long, twisted hallway. It's almost like a maze, and she feels more and more lost with each passing turn. There are so many side hallways that she isn't sure how Itachi knows where he is going. He stops before a door and softly says. "This room will belong to you."

Itachi proceeds to open it, and Ishiko's nose wrinkles when the smell hits her. Much like the entire area, it smells musty, like wet earth and mold. To make matters worse, the air pouring out is humid. Itachi takes a step in seemingly not bothered by the smell. He reaches over to flick on a light just as Ishiko steps through the door. Her nose visibly wrinkles at the sight. It's clear the room hasn't been lived in for a while, if at all. There is a thick layer of dust over everything, not there is much to begin with. Along one wall is a bed, though the sheets are stained in something that looks suspiciously like dried blood.

Guess that answers the question on whether the room has been used before. The thought of climbing into something obviously soiled makes her stomach twist painfully. She unconsciously lifts a hand to her stomach regretting the food she ate. Every corner seems to have a spider web, and there are a couple along the legs of the bed. The dresser is to the left of the entrance, directly across from another door she assumes is the closet. Much like the bed, the dresser is complete with dust and cobwebs. Her eyes continue around the room. Now that she actually observes more than the filth, she notices there is no nightstand, lamp or anything other than the bed and dresser. There are two doors, aside from the entry door. As much as she doesn't want to, she steps further into the room. Her arm barely misses the Uchiha's as she approaches the first door. It's a couple feet from where she had entered. It's a closet, like she thought. She turns her eyes to the next door; it's on the other side of the room, though it shares a wall with the closet. She swallows hard and forces her body to move. Her hand shakes when she reaches out for the cold, metal knob.

Her fingers touch it, and she closes her eyes. Why is she panicking about something so trivial? This room holds nothing she hasn't seen before. To be honest, those stains could be anything. With a deep breath, she turns the knob and slowly opens the door to a dark room. She releases a slow breath and runs her hand along the wall beside the door without taking her eyes off the darkness in front of her. Just as she expects, her fingers brush a switch. She flicks it on only to flinch. A light dusting of pink spreads over her face. She's facing a bathroom, yet she had panicked like a child facing a test.

Once more, she is disgusted by the sight of the bathroom. It hasn't been used in a while. Like the bedroom, there is a thick layer of dust coating everything. The mirror hanging over the sink is cracked, but she can still see over her shoulder through it. The Rogue Leaf ninja is hovering near the doorway. His red eyes seem to be watching her, though she gets the feeling his mind is elsewhere. She watches him for a moment through the mirror. A wave of loneliness hits her so suddenly that it blindsides her. Her eyes shift to look around the room all over again, and they continue until she is facing the bedroom once more.

_Try to think positive. It's not terrible. A little soap, water….. A powerful disinfectant and some time to air out, and it won't be terrible._ She still feels hopelessness clinging to her like a dark cloud. The sound of Itachi's voice draws her from her attempt at positive thoughts.

"You will receive money for each mission you complete, as you would in a village. Should you require anything, you must speak to Deidara. He is responsible for your needs. This room will be yours from here until your services are no longer needed."

_Until your services are no longer needed? Does he mean…? _She can't finish the thought. She doesn't feel as if he's threatening her; he's just stating a fact. Once she isn't useful, she'll be disposed of. Bile rises in her throat. She's unwillingly playing a very dangerous game. One she has no idea the length of, reason behind, or the rules. One wrong move, and her life will be forfeit. Hell, one wrong word, and she might get the same results. She jumps when she feels a sharp pain in her palms. She realizes she has been clenching her fists so tightly she's about to draw blood. She forces a small smile in Itachi's direction, not surprised when she receives a blank stare in response. "I understand. Thank you. Is there anything else I should know?"

He seems to consider saying something, but the moment passes. Without another word or a look back, he is gone. Ishiko closes her eyes and sucks a deep breath in through her nose and slowly lets it out through her mouth. Staying positive has helped her survive this long. She needs to find and then focus on the positives. She turns her attention to the room. She has a roof over her head. Comrades now. She is near her childhood friend.

It isn't working. She can still feel her food sitting heavily in the pit of her stomach, making her want to vomit. She releases a soft sigh and lets her eyes wander around the room. How is she going to clean this place without anything?

A knock on her door momentarily distracts her from her room dilemma. Her teal eyes wander toward the door. There is another knock, and she inwardly cringes at the thought of opening it. Unfortunately, she doesn't get long to dwell on whether or not to answer the door, since it opens of its own accord. She frowns at the thought. She'll have to check the door and see if there's a lock, not that it'll be hard to pick for a jounin level ninja. Its the small things that count after all.

Her mouth feels dry when she sees a blonde head peek around the door at her. She feels every muscle in her body tense. Perhaps a barrier of some kind instead of a lock? They aren't her forte, but she's willing to try anything. She makes a mental note to look into it further to see if it was even possible. A mocking blue eye meets hers after what feels like an eternity. His smirk is the next thing she sees, and her anger sparks all over again. She feels her face settle into a cold scowl. His voice instantly grates on her nerves when he arrogantly says, "Nice place you got here, hm."

Much to her utter frustration, he fully steps into the room, closing the door behind himself. She hears a soft click and feels herself tense to the point of pain. She shuffles backwards in an attempt to put as much distance between the two of them as she can. She still has no weapons to defend herself, why hadn't she at least grabbed a kitchen knife?

Right.

The Uchiha would've noticed in seconds, and she would've been disarmed and bound up. She inhales slowly through her nose trying to calm her nerves. This man before her is her childhood friend. She has known him for as long as she can remember, even if he has been absent from her life for years at this point. Perhaps she can rely on the lingering feeling of childish affection to protect her?

Yet, this man is also the main cause of her being homeless.

Maybe thinking isn't a good thing right now. She's over-analyzing everything. She forces her mind to clear while watching him walk through the room. She feels a shred of satisfaction at the wrinkle of disgust his nose does. After a moment of silence, she clears her throat, enjoying his obvious disgust isn't helping anything. "What do you need, dickhead?"

Her voice is a snarl, and it draws his blue gaze to her face. Ishiko feels a surge of courage she didn't feel when she was with Kisame and Itachi. "I thought you were on some long haul mission. Why are you here now?"

Deidara casually shrugs and proceeds to move over and open the closet door, peeking inside. Ishiko's patience starts to wear thin. After looking through the closet, he moves over to the dresser and proceeds to open every drawer peeking inside each one. Thankfully, it's dusty and empty. Finally, her patience snaps, and her tone becomes colder. "Deidara, I asked you a question. Why are you here? What do you need? Or are you here to mock me?"

His blue eye turns up to catch hers, and she sees a flash of irritation on his face. She gives him a smug smile of her own. Oh? Did she struck a nerve? Which part though? She had only seen his back, so she isn't sure. Either way, she's happy she's no longer the only one irritated by this situation.

"We finished our mission early, hm. Master Sasori and I tend to travel faster than most of the others." He states, tone just as cold as her own. He turns his gaze back to the mattress just to her right. She shifts her body away from it, moving so her back is to the door. There's no way he's getting behind her now, and she has no intention of relinquishing her only escape route. If he notices her movement, he doesn't comment on it. He slowly makes his way over to get a closer look at the mattress. The silence drags on almost as long as it had with Itachi, but this one feels heavy and infuriating rather than just awkward. She wants to yell and attack him. She clenches her fists tightly once more. She feels the sting from before and forces herself to relax. She can try to force him to tell her why he has ruined her life time and time again, but she knows it won't help. If he doesn't want to do something, he won't. It's as simple as that. Why can't he just leave her alone already?! The sound of his distracted voice cuts through her thoughts, forcing her to reluctantly pay attention to him. "We don't help each other out around here. At least not more than necessary to survive."

His blue eye lifts to meet her teal ones, and she feels a shudder run down her spine. He suddenly looks every bit the dangerous rogue Itachi is known to be. She clenches her fists tightly to try to hide the shaking. The pain helps to ground her, still she is careful not to cause any more damage to her doesn't give her a chance to respond. "We're a group rogue shinobi working toward a common goal. You aren't a member, therefore you've been given a servant's room,hm."

He sweeps his arm around the room dragging his gaze from hers, but her eyes remain locked on his body. His voice practically echos off the walls. "This is your place; your own personal sanctuary. It may not look like it now, but we do pay you for your missions and time. You'll be able to fix it and decorate it in whatever fashion you choose. If needed, you may return to that inn you were staying at and get some personal items. It's a known haven for rogues, so I don't think you'll be banned from it."

He crosses his arms. "No one will enter your room; it's an unspoken rule."

"Then why are you h-" she starts to snidely snap, but he coldly interupts her.

"I'm in your room right now because I'm responsible for you. I needed to assess what we're up against." His blue eye travels up a wall. "And it seems like we have plenty to do to make it at least livable."

She tenses and looks away. This room had felt small before, but it feels even more so with Deidara standing in it. She closes her eyes. After years of hunting him down, she feels like she is miles away from him. She hears his shoe scuff the ground, and her eyes snap open and turn to find him. She jerks back when she discovers him standing directly in front of her. Her back painfully collides with the wall beside the hallway door. Her heart stops when one of Deidara's hands rests beside her head. The other hangs limply at his side. He's taller than her, so he has to stoop a little to place his face inches from hers. She can feel his breath fanning over her face. In fact, she can feel the heat radiating from his body. Her eyes widen, and she presses her body flat against the wall. Ishiko wills herself to look away from him, but she finds her gaze locked with his. Once again, she's struck by just how much he's changed in their years apart. Her heart sinks to the soles of her feet. He looks so threatening without his usual smirk. The cold look in his blue eye frightens her to the very core. His voice is deep and threatening. "You won't wear our colors. To wear our cloak means you are a member. You'll never be a member."

She barely hears the next part. "You don't want that. I don't either."

She feels his sigh fan her face and closes her eyes in response. She can smell his cologne and the smokey, earthy smell he always has. She hears a shift and opens a single eye to find he hadn't stepped away, but he has leaned back so he's no longer caging her against the wall. "Watch who you trust. Many people who work for us are like you. Forced into their roles, while others choose to join us. Either side will cut your throat if they think it'll improve their standing with us… or make their lives easier in some way."

Silence settles between them. A light flush appears on Ishiko's cheeks, and she finally turns her gaze away from the man before her. Her gaze traces the wall, and she finds herself at a loss for what to say. She had so many questions before, but they mysteriously disappeared along with her previous courage. She's not shaking anymore, but she still feel like a child being lectured by an adult.

"Why did you do it?" She asks suddenly, surprising herself. She forces her gaze up to find the dark look still on his face. She forces herself to straighten her spine, and she leans up trying to look intimidating. "Why did you drag me d-"

"You need to watch out for members, as well, hm. You'll unfortunately be introduced to all of them. Kakuzu is known to have a particularly nasty temper, and his partner Hidan isn't much better. A sadist who wants to reform everyone around him. Neither of them will hesitate to kill if you get on their bad side."

"Deidara, wh-" His hand lifts before slamming back down beside her head causing her to flinch and halt her question. His face is inches from her own once again.

"Master Sasori is another one with a nasty temper. Do not keep him waiting, or you'll suffer for it. He knows a bit more restraint than the other two, so he likely won't actually kill you, but it'll hurt. You'll end up poisoned, and he'll let you linger on the line of life and death till he's decided you've had enough and learned your lesson." His voice matches his face, cold and dangerous. He continues while she tries to defiantly stare up at him. "Kisame is just a prick. You've seen him, so I don't think I have to explain to you how dangerous he can be when provocated or bored."

Is he trying to explain the dangers to her? Her heart skips a beat. Is this some twisted way of looking out for her? Where was this protective streak when she was being hunted down by a group of anbu because of him? The times she almost died at the hands of an ambitious jounin when their paths accidentally crossed? This sparks a burning anger in the pit of her stomach. She presses her face closer to his. Her nose almost touches his, but he doesn't back down. She has zero intention on doing so either. She snarls softly. "Why do I need your help now? You've done nothing but ruin my life, Deidara. You've gone and done it again. Stop pretending like you care and answer my damn question! Why did you destroy my life? You've uprooted me yet again! Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

This seems to cause him to hesitate. A thoughtful look passes through his eye. Finally, he leans back, but his other hand moves to rest on the wall, completely caging her against the wall and his body. He watches her closely as an amused look spreads over his face. "This mission you'll be going on is a test of sorts. If you fail it, not even I can save you. You'd do well to listen to my words of wisdom. I've lived with these people for a while. I know what they are capable of."

Silence settles over them for a minute before Deidara steps back. He wipes his hands on his pants with a sigh, before he lifts a hand to run his fingers through his long bangs. "Look, with your upcoming mission, just…. Stay out of their way."

He watches her for a moment. "Do that, and I'll explain why I did what I did. You have to come back alive though."

He gives her his usual, cocky grin, and she feels her body relaxing. He reaches out and presses the tip of his pointer finger against her nose gently. She growls and lifts her hand to swat at him. "Why not now?"

He chuckles. "Cause it's time to go."

He doesn't give her a chance to even say anything in response. He just opens the door beside her and leaves. She feels herself bristle at the fact he had made it seem so seamless, even unlocking the door in a fluid motion. She hears his voice echoing back. "Better hurry, if you don't want to get lost."

With a very animal-like growl, she follows him out the door. Much to her utter frustration, he is already at the first corner. Her heart stops when he disappears behind the wall. She lunges after him, just in time to see him disappear again. His laughter echoes around her clearly mocking her. She increases her pace, but it doesn't matter how fast she is running; he is always turning a corner the second she rounds one herself. Frustration builds, and it's all she can do not to scream. After the childish chase, she finds herself unexpectedly bursting out into a large empty room, drawing everyone's gaze. Embarrassment fills her chest and colors her cheeks. Her hair and clothes are sticking to her skin due to sweat, and she's heaving for breath. Her furious gaze locks onto Deidara. It pisses her off even more when she discovers he doesn't seem to even have broken a sweat.

"Is this her?" A deep, growl-like voice asks. Ishiko's surprised to find it's even deeper than Sasori's. Her gaze is dragged from her infuriating friend to the man not far from him. How had she not noticed him when she charged into the room? The man is almost as tall as Kisame. His hair is covered in a white hood. His face from the nose down is covered by a black mask, but the little bit of skin that is visible shows he is clearly tanned. He's wearing the trademark red, black and white cloak. His eyes are what makes him very intimidating in a creepy way. They are teal with no pupils, but that isn't what is sending shivers down her spine. The white of his eyes aren't... well white. They are red, almost like he has a severe case of bloodshot eyes. The sight is unnerving to say the least.

A scoff to her right draws her attention in that direction. The next man isn't nearly as intimidating. He is about average height, though still taller than her. He looks to be only a few years older than her and Deidara. He has a lazy look in his rose colored eyes. In fact, he looks like he's bored to death. He clearly isn't interested in her at all, though she's grateful for that when she notices the large, red, triple bladed scythe strapped to his back. One look at the sculpted chest visible due to his lack of shirt and ability to button his clothes up tells her he's more than capable of handling the clearly heavy weapon. His silver hair is slicked back away from his face. The glint of his necklace catches her eye when he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. It's an upside down triangle encased in a circle.

_Wonder why he has three blades? What's the use in that? Wouldn't it make it heavy and unwieldy in close range combat? _She finds herself wondering silently.

"Not interested, bitch. Stop eye fucking my body," an unfamiliar voice smoothly states, almost like he's used to saying that to complete strangers.

Everything goes deadly silently. Shock fills Ishiko's body, followed quickly by disgust and humiliation. Her face dusts a light pink, and anger sets in. She doesn't think she had been staring at him for that long. Even if she had been, it certainly didn't warrant his rude comment. Her teal eyes look straight into the rose colored ones of the silver-haired male. She swallows hard and notices the other two men watching her from the corner of her eye. She opens her mouth to snap some smart comment back, but she's interrupted by a sigh from Deidara. She feels humiliation flood her once more when she turns to look at him. She can see a vague sense of enjoyment in his eyes.

_He's enjoying this! The asshole!_ She clenches her fists tightly to keep from behaving like a child having a tantrum. It won't matter what she says, it'll only make the situation worse. Deidara's voice cuts through the snickers that erupted from the silver haired ninja. "Ishiko, this Kakuzu and Hidan."

Thankfully, he has the sense to gesture to each man as he says their names. With a cold look in Hidan's direction, she turns to offer Kakuzu a small bow. "It'll be a pleasure working with you."

Deidara snaps his fingers earning a cold gaze from Ishiko, a sound of annoyance from Kakuzu, and a curse from Hidan. He ignores the three of them. He chuckles deep in his throat. His eyes shine mischievously. "I never told you what your mission is, did I? I'm surprised you're taking this so well, Ishiko!"

She gives him a deadpan look. In a voice completely devoid of emotion, Ishiko says, "I never expected much from you. You're not exactly reliable when it comes to these things. I figured I'd get a better explanation from whoever I was working with anyway."

It's silent for a moment while Deidara registers what she just said. All at once the large room is full of noise. Hidan erupts into laughter. His face quickly becomes red from the sheer lack of oxygen, and he wraps his arms around his midsection. "Dude, she just called you stupid!"

Ishiko barely spares Hidan a glance since Deidara moves to tower over her with a look of pure fury on his face. "What did you say?! You never asked! What is wrong with your head?! Most ninja want to know the details of their mission!"

Ishiko turns her head away, causing Hidan to wheeze and almost collapse due to his laughter. "Your help is real whipped, bitch boy!"

Deidara turns on Hidan with a savage snarl. "No one asked for your opinion, you fucking sadist!"

"Enough!" Kakuzu's booming voice silences Deidara's words and brings Hidan's laughter down to a snicker. His voice draws Mai's gaze back. Kakuzu speaks the second Deidara starts to verbally seethe again. "Deidara, it's your responsibility to make sure your help is up to date on missions. How something so important slipped your mind is inexcusable. She is not wrong. It shows a certain degree of unreliability."

Ishiko feels a sense of gratification. She can't help the small gloating look she sends the blonde ninja. It does wonders for rubbing salt in his wounded pride. Deidara grits his teeth snarling like an animal for a moment before he manages to reign in his temper. He gives Ishiko, then Kakuzu a cold look. "If you both want to behave that way, why don't you explain the mission to her."

He turns on his heel and stalks away disappearing into the gloom. Ishiko feels a pang of longing when he disappears. The sight of his back makes her miss home. Despite her cold attitude, she feels close to comfortable when he's around. She hears a scoff. "We're leaving."

That's Kakuzu's deep rumble. She watches the hallway for a moment before she turns and jogs after the two Akatsuki members. Like before, they perform a hand seal, and the rock shifts out of the way. The second they pass through, it shifts back. She watches over her shoulder as it does. This whole situation is unnerving. With a sigh, she turns back just in time to see the two rogues scaling the steep cliff using chakra. With a deep breath, she follows suit. When she reaches the top, she finds they aren't waiting for her. She hurries to catch up. The second she falls into step beside Kakuzu, he starts to speak. "We are hunting for a bounty."

There is a rustle as the large ninja produces a bingo book from within his sleeve. He flips through the pages before he passes the book to her. Ishiko reaches over to gently take the book. The man inside isn't one she readily recognizes. She glances up at the waterfall ninja beside her. She licks her lips to moisten them, before she passes the book back to him. It looks like they're heading in the direction of the land of lightning. It's one of the places she actively avoids along with the land of earth. The ninja there are hard for her to handle and fiercely loyal, nearly as bad as the leaf. She releases a sigh. "I don't recognize the man."

Kakuzu grunts. "You aren't expected to. He loiters in the land of lightning, but he's known to drift from place to place. We're going to hit one of his common hangouts and track him from there."

Hidan releases a loud moan of irritation. She glances toward the silver haired ninja to find him practically dragging his feet like a toddler. She releases a gentle sigh and falls a couple steps behind in order to observe her new companions. She has a sinking feeling this trip will take longer than necessary and be full of hassles.

* * *

It's been about a week on the road with this duo, and she's ready to tear her hair out. They bicker constantly, like an old married couple. Usually, it starts with Hidan trying to hurl some insult at Kakuzu. Kakuzu, on the other hand, is much older and wiser. Without batting an eyelash, he responds with some remark that sets Hidan off. The younger ninja goes on a rampage about whatever Kakuzu said. This results in Hidan badgering Kakuzu to the point the older ninja's temper gets ignited. It only takes Ishiko seeing it once to know angering him is a bad idea. Afterwards, she's careful to watch out for his short fuse and vanish when it seems like Hidan's about to ignite it.

The last couple of hours, Kakuzu has been giving both young ninja the silent treatment which is bad for Ishiko. Her mouth's as dry as her canteen. She wants to look for a stream, or possibly ask Kakuzu kindly for some water, but she didn't dare speak up. Thrist in't her only discomfort. Her bladder is insanely full, since they haven't stopped for a single break since early morning. It's nearing nightfall at this point. Her skin feels disgusting since she hasn't had a bath in days. They somehow managed to get side tracked and wound up in a humid part of the land of fire. Kakuzu insisted they were following a possible hit on their target, but Ishiko silently wonders if the old ninja had gone senile and gotten them lost instead. She doesn't dare voice any of these thoughts since her earlier, timid request to stop for a bathroom break resulted in Kakuzu nearly taking her head off.

She made sure to stay at least 5 feet away from him after that. Unfortunately, it seemed to open her up to Hidan's annoying chatter when he didn't get the desired response from Kakuzu. She finds herself almost missing the bubbly Kisame.

"Hey bitch, what's Deidara's interest in you? You fuck him enough times he thought maybe you'd be useful?" Hidan asks for the upteempth time. Ishiko's own temper is starting to wear thin at this point. She casts a cold glare in his direction, but her effort is wasted on him.

"I don't see what he sees in you." At this point, she feels a sharp stab to her ribs, making her jump and release a soft squeal. Hidan blinks in surprise before a mischievous look takes over his face. "You're tiny and useless. You're not even attractive. You look like an underdeveloped teenager who stuffs her bra and struts around like a rooster."

A grin spreads over his face when her fists curl into a white knuckled grip. She tries to focus on taking slow deep breaths. She needs to calm down; he's just looking for a fight. He always is. She'll be damned if she gives him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her. She closes her eyes and continues to focus on her breathing. She knows she isn't a top tier beauty, but she's positive she isn't ugly either. Despite all her efforts, she can still feel her hands shaking in anger. It gets even worse since Hidan continues to badger her. "I bet you can't even fight. Besides laying on your back, what is it you do exactly?"

That.

Was

The final straw. All rational thought leaves her in seconds. She clenches her fist and turns in one fluid movement. She hopes to catch him by surprise, but his large hand closes around her wrist, halting her fist inches from his nose. Her heart skips a beat, and she grits her teeth, knowing her lapse in judgement may cause a serious issue for her. The smirk on his face is not comforting in the least. With a sharp yank, her body stumbles toward Hidan's. Air rushes from her lungs when he plants his foot in her diaphragm. The force knocks her backwards. At some point, he releases her, and she lands hard on her back, sliding a short distance. Her lungs greedily suck in the air that had been knocked out of them not once but twice. Her head spins, and she stares at the sky through the tree branches. She can feel the rocks digging into her skin, but she honestly doesn't give them much thought. A flash of red distracts her from her wheezing. Letting her ninja instincts kick in, she rolls to one side. Her hip collides with his leg when he tries to prevent her from escaping. The scythe sinks into the ground narrowly missing her shoulder and ribs. A quick glance up reveals his nearly psychotic grin. He leans over the handle of his weapon to watch her.

She honestly doesn't give it much thought. His legs are spread on either side of her, and it's an advantage he unknowingly gave her. One she doesn't plan on letting go of easily. She patiently waits until he lifts the scythe up over his head with cruel laughter spilling from his mouth. The split second he's off balance from overextending, she doubles her fist and lashes out. Her blow hits exactly where she intended it to, right in his family jewels. She watches with satisfaction as his eyes widen, and his mouth falls open gaping like a fish out of water.

Her eyes widen when his fingers loosen on the hilt of his scythe. She barely manages to curl into a ball to avoid being hit by the weapon when it falls to the ground behind him. His hands move to hold his precious jewels, and his knees give out, leaving him straddling Ishiko. She still wastes no time; her hand snags the open edge of his cloak. She arches her back, bucking her hips. He's still distracted by the pain between his legs, so he does nothing to stop her. In seconds, she rolls the two of them, so she is straddling him with a kunai pressed hard against his jugular vein, just above his headband. Blood beeds then trickles down his pale skin. Ishiko wants to see fear or pain or anything but the crazy grin staring back at her. Goosebumps form over her flesh, and she presses her weapon closer.

"Feisty, aren't you?" He grins at her, unnerving her even more. She grits her teeth hard. Pain races through her thigh, and she doesn't need to look down to see his hand gripping her tightly. She can practically feel the bruise already forming. Movement from the corner of her eye causes her to throw her weight to one side. She rolls away before leaping to her feet, crouching slightly to watch him for further attacks. She's not sure where he had gotten a stake from, but it narrowly missed her face. Silently, Ishiko curses herself for not pinning his arms down with her knees. Hidan laughs psychotically and climbs to his feet. He makes a show of dusting himself off. He tilts his head back and forth, nastily popping the bones in his neck before his eyes focus on Ishiko.

"Hidan," Kakuzu growls, but he's ignored by the two younger ninja. Without warning, he rushes her. She leaps back, weaving around his wild strikes. The silver haired ninja lets out a whoop when he narrowly misses Ishiko's arm with his stake. He's physically stronger than her, so she's grateful he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. She has been leading him further and further from his scythe. Once she's satisfied with the distance, she sends chakra to her legs and feet. She needs to get some distance between the two of them, and her chakra enhanced leap gives her that distance. For one breath taking moment, she feels that weightless feeling most ninja get when they enhance their body with chakra. Her feet slide across the ground, but she wastes no time in forming the required seals. Her lips move slightly with the name of her earth style jutsu. In seconds, she is on her knees with her hands pressed into the dirt at her feet. By this time, Hidan is rushing straight at her. She offers him a cheeky smile just before the ground to Hidan's left rises. It twists and forms a line across his path at head height. Unfortunately, she didn't give the rogue time to stop or change direction. His momentum runs him head long into the dirt, smashing his face into the solid mass. Ishiko fights the chuckle threatening to bubble out of her throat when she hears a satisfying crack followed by Hidan's screaming. He's on his back at this point rolling back and forth while holding his face.

"You stupid bitch! Jashin will severely punish you for your indiscretions against his faithful follower!" Hidan screeches through the blood. Ishiko bites her lip knowing she still has to focus on the fight at hand. Hidan slams a hand on the ground pushing himself into a sitting position. She can see blood leaking from between his fingers. It slowly works it's way down his wrist and arm before disappearing into his sleeve. He points an accusatory finger at her. "You would hurt a comrade like that?! What the fuck is wrong with you, dumb bitch?! I think you broke my nose! You fucking twisted litt-"

Fury spikes in Ishiko again, and she opens her mouth to retaliate. Without warning, Kakuzu's low voice cuts through. "Hidan, you started this fight, so you have no room to lecture her on hurting a comrade. Besides, it's pathetic of you to sit there yelling at her. She has clearly bested you, despite being half your size. I have told you to use your head."

Silence follows Kakuzu's words; even Ishiko's startled by them. Both ninja watch the older man while his words settle. Everything happens at once. Ishiko loses it. Her arms wrap around her stomach, and laughter seems to explode from her. She feels like she can barely breathe at all. It's just too good. One glance at Hidan's bloody, shocked face makes it even worse. She wheezes hard and ends up kneeling down. Her hand braces herself against the ground. Hidan begins yelling. "What the fuck, Kakuzu?! We're partners! You're supposed to be on my side! How fucking dare you!"

He slams his foot into the ground, snapping Ishiko out of her wheezing laughter. Her teal eyes lift to see him still cursing and yelling at his partner. Her eyes shift to meet Kakuzu's eerie eyes. She may be imagining it, but it almost seems like Kakuzu is urging her forward. Hidan's yelling something degrading toward Kakuzu. Her teal eyes move to the silver haired man's back. She watches him for a moment more before she slowly climbs to her feet.

Ishiko isn't about to let the opportunity pass her up. It's simply too good. Hidan has his back to her, leaving himself wide open to any of her attacks. She hopes to blindside him and teach him not to mess with her anymore. The thought of peace and quiet was tempting.

Even if it doesn't work, she should have some peace for a little while. He'll be plotting his revenge, or maybe he'll go back to bothering Kakuzu for a bit. She draws a kunai for each hand. It might be underhanded to attack someone clearly not paying attention, but she doesn't care.

She's a rogue, after all. Rogues aren't known for being honorable, and she hasn't survived this long by following a code of ethics. She draws her hand back and hurls a kunai at her opponent's back. Everything falls silent after the sickening, wet sound of the kunai entering Hidan's thigh. He turns to look down at it with a blank look. With a flick of her wrist, she sends the second one flying after the first. Unfortunately for Hidan, he turned to face her. The sharp kunai sinks into his chest instead of the shoulder she had been aiming for. He stumbles backwards, and for one heart stopping second, she worries she had killed him. The kunai is dangerously close to his heart. She has seen him and Kakuzu go at each other, but they had never seriously hurt each other before Kakuzu lost interest.

Hidan's lavender eyes flick down to his chest. He stares at the kunai blankly. Everything seems to slow for Ishiko. She might be a rogue, and she's not afraid to kill someone, but she has never actively tried to kill someone, not in cold blood. Hidan opens his mouth, and blood dribbles down his chin, mixing with the blood from his nose.

Tense seconds turn into agonizing minutes. Something's wrong though. He isn't falling. Sure it takes a minute sometimes, but it shouldn't take this long. Teal eyes widen when she sees Hidan's shoulders starting to shake. His head falls forward, giving him an eerie appearance with blood dripping from his body.

'_Wait…. Is he…?_' Ishiko's eyes narrow a little. Her teal eyes search his shaking body. _'Is he….. laughing?_'

It all happens so fast she barely has time to react. Her body arches backwards, the stake barely missing the tip of her nose. In fact, it's so close she can feel the wind from it. Another swing causes her to duck. He doesn't let up at all. He howls like a banshee and swings again making her dive to her left to avoid his weapon. Her body rolls across the ground before she springs to her feet. Unfortunately, he isn't keen on giving her time to gather her bearings. The attack is already inches away from her face. She does the best she can by drawing and yanking up a kunai at the last second. Her body is knocked to the side by the sheer force he uses, despite the thin piece of metal. She ends up having to use chakra to stop herself from sliding across the ground. She attempts to shove hard against the man, but all he does is lean into her, almost crushing her with his much larger frame. He giggles right in her face tauntingly asking. "Something wrong, bitch? Your movements are so sluggish! Come on! Where is that fire?!"

He leans on her even more, nearly causing her legs to buckle. At this point, she can feel the sharp edge of his stake against her cheek. She grits her teeth hard, mind racing in an attempt to find a way out of this mess. She needs to do something, or he'll win. If he wins, she's positive she won't come out of it with her life. He takes another step toward her. He's so close now his body is almost touching hers. His face is inches from her own. The sharp edge is close to breaking skin now, and it's all she can do to prevent it. That's when it occurs to her what she needs to do. She only has a few seconds before the man overpowers her. She takes a second to get herself into the right state of mind. Once she steels her nerves, she leans on her toes in an effort to bring her face closer to his. Her lips are inches from his bloody ones. He pauses for only a moment, seemingly anticipating what she's about to do. Her breath fans over and cools the blood on his face while her heart pounds. His eyes narrow for a moment. "Don't you fucking dare."

His voice is barely a snarl, and a smile is the only answer he gets before she's on the move. She jerks her head back, being mindful of the stake pressed against her cheek. He leans back in response to her sudden movement, clearly expecting her to close the distance between the two of them. She doesn't give him a chance to actually collect his thoughts when she does the opposite. She slams her head forward. She feels her forehead collide with his face, though she's unsure where she hits. Pain explodes through her head, but she grits her teeth and fights through it. She doesn't have time to be disoriented by the blow. She puts one hand against his chest and shoves hard. She turns her face away from his weapon in an effort to avoid being cut. He reels backwards with a barge of curses falling from his mouth. He nearly loses his foot, but manages to catch it last second. She ducks the next wild swing and scrambles backwards. The look of pure anger on his face causes her to freeze for just a second. Unfortunately, that's all he needs to start charging at her again.

Upon seeing the murderous look on his face, she reacts out of pure survival instinct. Her hands fly into the familiar seals she has practiced so many times before. The air begins to tingle, but it does nothing in distracting the enraged rogue charging at her. He doesn't seem to care what jutsu she is planning to use. Ishiko watches him for a moment, waiting for the right time to fully activate her jutsu. It's unconventional, and she doesn't like using it. Still, she's less of a fan of direct violence, especially with a man. There's no way in hell she'll win a brute strength contest against Hidan. She's still thrown off about the kunai sticking out of his chest, but she tries to keep the thought from her mind. She needs to focus on the here and now. She can figure the rest out later. The second he's within range, she closes her eyes. She's fully aware of what will happen to him now.

She hears him slide to a stop when a dense smokey haze fills the area around her, causing her to fade from his view. She opens her eyes to watch him to look around himself, as if searching for her. A quick glance at Kakuzu reveals he's leaning against a nearby tree with his arms crossed, watching their squabble. He's likely already figured out her jutsu. He's older than the both of them combined. She turns back when she hears Hidan's voice cut through the silence. "Fucking bitch! Get out here and fight! Don't be a pussy!"

She watches him turn in circles, disorienting himself in the haze. He likely has no idea where she's at all anymore. She lifts her hands forming another seal. A new noise rips through the air. It's almost...human. It sounds like someone groaning in pain. A second one follows the first. Each time she makes the seal, another voice joins, until the sound echoes all around Hidan. She can see him spinning in circles, eyes frantically trying to locate whoever is near him. She can't fight the smile from spreading over her face. This genjutsu of hers may be twisted, but it's fun for her to do. It's never the same. She can twist it whichever way she wishes to cause as much mental strain as she wishes.

She continues adding more haze and more sounds, feeling the tug on her chakra reserves. Once she's positive the haze is thick enough, she cancels the groans. She only has to wait a moment for Hidan's frantic movements to halt in favor of listening for an oncoming attack. She can see his chest heaving, though she's positive he's not actually scared of her jutsu. She inhales slowly through her nose. This next part always drew hard on her reserves, since she tries to make it as real as possible. She closes her eyes and finishes the next string of hand seals. Out of the fog, she knows Hidan'll see a lumbering chunk of flesh that'll eerily reach for him. The first few times, his weapon will slide through them, like they're a ghost. The next few, he'll feel. His skin will crawl from the cold, clammy skin that touches him. It'll feel like his weapon is sinking into skin. He'll hear the sickening wet sound, but that's not the worst part. The worst is after the hunks of flesh dissipate. They'll release the smell of death and rot, like a corpse left out in the sun during the hottest days of the year.

After the first few, the hunks of flesh will change. They'll twist and form the shape of a lumbering human with chunks of flesh hanging from large gashes in their body. Bones will be exposed through the sagging skin, and their eyes will reveal a deep insatiable hunger. Their deformed hands will reach for Hidan. Their numbers will increase to an impossible amount before she finally releases him.

Just like she expects, his body turns frantically. He swings his weapon wildly at the incoming opponents. His voice is an octave higher than normal. "Kakuzu! Help! Please!"

Ishiko glances at Kakuzu to see if he has any intention on helping his partner out. After a couple of silent seconds, she decides he's more interested in observing than helping. She turns and inhales slowly. It's time to amp up the jutsu. She shifts her weight, careful to keep an eye on Kakuzu while she completes the next part of her plan. Two clammy hands latch onto Hidan's feet, cementing him to the ground. The hands claw their way up his legs, reaching his waist before a faceless head appears before him. She can hear the panic in his voice when he calls out. "Kakuzu! Where are you, you faggot?"

She casts another glance toward Kakuzu to find his eyes closed, as if he'd grown bored with their little spat. Her mouth grows dry. Maybe she's toying with Hidan a little too much? She should end this soon, before Kakuzu takes it upon himself to end it. She turns her gaze back onto Hidan. Her earth style jutsu has cemented him to the ground, and his fist is uselessly colliding with the dirt. She inhales slowly and cancels the genjutsu, leaving him panting and sweating in his earthy prison. Lavender eyes flick around frantically before they lock onto her. He resumes struggling against her jutsu. "Fucking bitch! I'll sacrifice you to Jashin! Fucking let me go!"

Anger fills her belly, and she decides it's time to teach him a serious lesson. Her eyes remain locked with his lavender ones while she draws a kunai. She can see the anger on his face, clearly taunting her. She is agonizingly slow when she lifts her hand to aim the kunai. He snarls much like a rabid animal. His teeth are pink with blood, and his messy face and hair give him an eerily savage appearance. Just when she's ready to toss her kunai, a large hand grabs her wrist, bending it savagely. With a cry of pain, her hand releases the weapon. Her angry teal eyes lift up to meet a set of bored red and green eyes. The back of a hand suddenly becomes visible out of the corner of her eye.

She doesn't have time to react.

Kakuzu's hand collides with her cheek; a cry of surprise involuntarily leaves her throat. If he hadn't been holding her wrist, she's positive she wouldn't be standing on her own two feet. Her face is already bruising and starting to swell when she turns a cold gaze back on Kakuzu.

The earth jutsu holding Hidan crumbles away. He brushes the dirt from his clothes, still bristling at the thought that he'd been tricked by a genjutsu a teenage girl had created. He proceeds to stomp toward her and his partner with a look of pure murder in his eyes.

One look from his partner stops him.

Kakuzu looks back at Ishiko, though she's busy glaring at Hidan, as if egging him on. Kakuzu's deep, growl-like voice draws her attention back to him. "No more fighting, you dumbasses. We have a schedule to keep."

Ishiko wants to heed his warning. She truly does, but her stubborn streak is already surfacing. She doesn't have to look at Hidan to know he feels the same way. She can hear him suck air into his lungs. In an effort to get her side across first, she begins to yell.

"He fucking started it! I should've just cut him into tiny pieces and fed his sorry excuse for a corpse to the worms!"

Hidan bristles at that. "What the fuck did you say, you useless bitch?!"

Her cold teal eyes snap around to glare at the offending male. "Oh? I'm useless? Ha! I'm not the one who got his ass kicked by a girl! Aren't you supposed to be some big bad criminal?"

"You little bitch! I'll show you the ass kicking of your life!" Hidan storms forward before another look from Kakuzu freezes him just out of arm's reach.

Ishiko doesn't seem intent on letting this go, or heeding Kakuzu's silent warning. Before she thinks the consequences through, she opens her mouth to snap at Hidan. "On second thought, not even the worms would eat your rotten ass."

She regrets the words the second they leave her mouth. A large hand encloses around her throat, and her feet leave the safety of the ground. Instinctively, her hands lift to claw at Kakuzu's. Her toes barely brush the ground when she tries to find something to brace herself against to relieve the pressure of her weight.

_What a terrible way to die! It's right there!_ Her eyes close tightly, and she makes a wet, wheezing sound in an attempt to get air into her starving lungs. Panic washes over her mind, and she realizes she's going to die of suffocation at the hands of a comrade. Black dots begin to fill her vision, furthering the panic. She can see Hidan's grin when he lunges for her. A large foot lands in the center of his abdomen before he gets close, causing him to crumble to the ground in a heap of groaning flesh.

"I said enough. We're behind on our hunt. So unless you two want to deal with me. I suggest we get a move on," Kakuzu growls. Despite his calm behavior, it's obvious to the two young ninja that he means business. He drops Ishiko and resumes walking. Hidan and Ishiko share one more glare before the two gather their wounded pride and follow after the older ninja with a larger than normal gap between the two of them.


End file.
